Vol 28, No 4 (2020)

The main goal is to consider the main provisions of strategic planning for the development of recreational tourism in Crimea based on an assessment of the influence of macroenvironmental factors, which makes it possible to develop aggregated indicators for the medium term to increase the competitive position of the republic's recreational business, enhance the role of the market for recreational and health services, and improve the quality parameters of provided recreational services. The study examines the key positions of the STEEP-analysis of the external macroenvironment for the development of recreational tourism in Crimea, which have a high probability of implementation. The ratio of organized and amateur recreational tourism, which affects the level of occupancy of the room fund of collective accommodation facilities, changes in their profitability based on the indicators of the State Program for the Development of Resorts and Tourism of the Republic of Crimea in 2015-2022, has been estimated. As one of the approaches to strategic planning, the application of the quantitative method of scenario forecasting is considered, which made it possible to determine the dynamics of such forecast indicators as the potential volume of provided recreational services, the number of arrivals and accommodated tourists and recreants, the volume of income of recreational tourism taken out of the shadow turnover and calculate the increase in the volume of recreational services of the Republic of Crimea in the amount of 409.3 million rubles for the period 2020-2026.

This study examines differentiation as a business competitiveness strategy for improving business performance in the brewery industry the case of Les Brasseries Du Cameroun Bamenda. The case study design was employed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques to assess the hypothetical relationships stated. Questionnaire and interviews were used for data collection administered to a purposefully selected sample of 130 participants comprising of management staff at Les Brasseries Du Cameroun Bamenda as well as managers and staff at retail outlets/bars in Bamenda. Using Pearson’s correlation coefficient as analytical technique, results showed that there is a strong positive relationship between product differentiation, and business performance (PCC = .804**, p < 0.01), moderate positive relationship between service differentiation and business performance (PCC = .575**, p < 0.01), and a weak positive relationship between physical differentiation and business performance (PCC = .264**, p < 0.01). The study thus provides practical advice that management should continue to maintain and uphold product differentiation variable factors like quality and assortment while at the same step-up service differentiation activities.

The article examines the tendencies and prospects for the development of universities wishing to occupy leading positions in world and national rankings that appeared in connection with digitalization, which has the most noticeable impact in the field of education since 2020. In this regard, the most urgent is to consider the identification of the main factors by which universities are assessed by leading international and national ratings, evolutionary and meaningful models of creating a world-class university, vectors for the development of digital transformation in relation to higher education, as well as analysis of existing ones, internship at world-class universities in the field of digitalization. The presented results of the study allow to draw conclusions about the attitude of representatives of educational organizations (students and teachers) and the business community of a number of cities in Russia, Poland and Italy to the ongoing digital transformation of universities and the formation of new world-class universities.

Currently, the creation and development of high technologies are becoming an independent area of scientific knowledge and technological base for the transformation of the economy. However, in practice, there is a problem of shortfall in financial resources and status determination. The central idea of this article is to analyze the existing literature on research in the field of knowledge-based economics. The central idea of this article is to analyze the existing literature on research in the field of knowledge - based economy. In particular, we look at the existing literature related to the measurement of knowledge-based economy, with an indication of the most influential scientists, journals, and related publications. The document provides some answers to questions from leading journals with documents related to research in the field of knowledge-based economy, a number of articles with the highest number of citations, or a list of countries with the most research in the field of knowledge-based economy. This article has both academic and political value. From a scientific point of view, the study identifies scientists who have made the greatest contribution to research in the field of knowledge-based economy. For policy makers, this document is a report on existing practices and good practices.

The article examines the consequences caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the world. It analyzes the negative impact of quarantine measures in different countries on the world economy, the financial system and the general international legal climate, including those aspects related to crossing international borders. The article presents the world Bank's forecasts regarding the level of economic downturn and business activity in various countries and regions of the world, as well as the prospects for the recovery of national economies in 2021. The article attempts to give a General and objective assessment of the legal innovations occurring during the pandemic, as well as the negative consequences of the pandemic in the political, economic, financial, social, legal and religious spheres. Special attention is paid to the regional aspect in the fight against coronavirus and the prospects for the formation of a new "post-human world".

The increasing politicization of international food trade, as well as the stagnation of the world economy due to the coronavirus epidemic, once again confirmed the relevance of Russia's self-sufficiency in food. The implementation of the Food Security Doctrine has made it possible to overcome the systemic problems of domestic agriculture and increase the sustainable production of basic crop products and aquatic biological resources. However, the situation in livestock farming is not so optimistic: stagnation in resource-intensive cattle production and dairy farming is accompanied by success in import substitution of poultry and pork meat. The revision of the doctrine in January 2020 shifted the focus from self-reliance on agricultural commodities to the production of a wide range of competitive high value-added foods. The article analyzes the dynamics of self-sufficiency in food in Russia, examines the current state of affairs in the main sectors of domestic agricultural production and the fishery complex, and offers promising areas of development.

The relevance of this research is due to the need to develop the financial sector of the domestic economy, which has become obvious in the context of the global economic crisis. This paper examines the structural features of life insurance markets in Russia and the West. The purpose of the study is to assess the state of the competitive environment in the markets under consideration and draw conclusions about the barriers to entry for new companies. The methodology of the work includes structural, statistical, system, logical, and other types of analysis, as well as the synthesis of the results obtained. Using the example of the Russian and Western life insurance markets, the role of geographical segments in shaping the overall market environment is evaluated. Based on the results of the research, the necessity of partial transplantation of the Western model of market environment formation based on monopolistic competition of market participants is justified.

The article deals with practical aspects of the implementation of cooperation between the CSTO countries in the production and supply of trucks as dual-use goods. The current macroeconomic situation of the countries participating in the agreement in terms of opportunities for self-production of these goods is considered. It shows the key brands and manufacturers that provide the markets of the CSTO countries with freight trucks, as well as the situation with production capabilities, and the current difficulties of finding a balance between efficiency, price and diversification in their fleet of civil and military vehicles. The research reveals a fairly stable position of Russian producers both on the national market and on the markets of the countries under consideration. At the same time, the study points out one of the key difficulties in the near-term prospects of the CSTO truck markets - the growing influence and dependence on China at both the macro and micro levels.

The article examines the process of concluding, implementing and updating the Free Trade Agreement between the USA and South Korea, highlights the main problematic aspects of the functioning of the free trade area and the consequences for the bilateral trade of countries. The study found that South Korea benefited significantly from the negotiated liberal trade regime with the USA. The trade balance surplus of South Korea with the USA sharply increased - to a historic maximum of 25 billion dollars (in 2015), also South Korean exports of high-tech goods and high value-added goods increased significantly. For the USA, participation in the agreement led to an increase in the trade balance deficit and in the export of resources, agricultural goods and low value-added products. The observed consequences led to the use of a tough discriminatory policy by the USA, to the revision of the provisions of the Free trade agreement and to the military and political concessions from South Korea. As a result, the deficit of the US trade balance with South Korea decreased by 17.3% over the year, changes in the commodity structure of the countries' mutual trade are expected. The analysis proves the formation of a unified approach in US foreign trade policy towards partner countries within the framework of Free trade agreements, which lies in the mainstream of new protectionism and aimed at ensuring American geopolitical and economic interests.