Current trends and prospects of motorcycle tourism development in the Republic of Dagestan

Tourism professionals consider motorcycle tourism one of the promising types of modern sports tourism. The motorcycle provides freedom and speed of the tourist group's movement, expands opportunities for active familiarity with the area, makes the trip more meaningful, more eventful. This is a holiday for active, adventurous people and extreme sports lovers. The prominent biker in our country was Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin, who, together with his friends, established the EBK-50 biker club, the main goal of which was long-distance motorcycle tourism. The EBK-50 biker club also included Boris Zolotarev, the former governor of Evenkiya, Sergey Sokol, the Envoy's adviser as well as entrepreneurs and businessmen from all over the former Soviet Union.

Many regions of the world can become centres of the mountain off-road motorbike tourism development, but only some of them, such as mountain destinations of the North Caucasus, and, in particular, Dagestan's recreational areas seem to have been created for it. However, despite the growing interest in motorcycle tourism, it is developing randomly, the region has very few well-organized and safe programs, accompanied by the professionally trained specialists.

The main problem of organizing such routes is that not everyone can become a motorbike tourist. A person needs good physical fitness as on the road he cannot relax even for a minute. In addition, the trip does not always take place in favourable weather conditions. But those who can spend several days riding a motorbike obtain the opportunity to travel to the most unique and inaccessible protected sites and get unforgettable impressions.

In today's world practice, motorbike tours occupy strong positions in the tourist supply structure. There are exceptional routes which are fully reserved six months before the tour starts. Among them there are KTM rally raids in the desert or rally raids on the new BMW in the Canaries. Sometimes groups do not exceed 12 people, although there are usually many more people who want to participate. In Europe and America, one can go on a motorcycle tour quite easily just buying a tour in the travel agency where the tourist will be given a voucher and tickets to the starting point of the trip. The tourist just needs to choose a country, meals, accommodation, motorbike model, length and complexity of the route. In our country, organized motorbike tourism is just beginning to emerge and can be practiced only in few areas.

Analysis of the research published papers

The comprehensive state support for domestic and inbound tourism in Russia, especially clearly manifested after the coronavirus lockdown, contributes to Russians' growing interest in travelling around the country. Besides, it stimulates Russian tourism businesses to expand the geography of tourist routes and types of tourism. Every year the catalogue of new tourist programs is updated with innovative forms, which are discussed on the numerous scientific conferences, in academic articles and monographs.

In this connection we can mention A.Yu. Alexandrova's research, in which the author conducts a detailed analysis of the world experience in the strategic tourism development both in established and emerging tourist destinations [2].

T.A. Kolchugina and 1.1. Kosinets examine in their article the state of tourism in the North Caucasian region in relation to the socio-political situation. The authors touch the problem of finding ways to agreement and mutual understanding between peoples, based on the principles of ethno-confession-al tolerance. The tolerance, according to the authors, can be generated by tourism, which contributes to the knowledge of peoples' history and culture, fosters respect for their lifestyle, national traditions and customs, facilitates good-neighbourly coexistence [12].

The problems and challenges of implementingtourist and recreational projects, the stereotypes of perceiving the security of the North Caucasian region are reflected in the studies of D.B. Chuprova and L.V. Krylova [8]. The authors analyse the favourable prerequisites fortourism development in North Caucasian Federal District and offer their measures to attract investments in the tourism industry development on the basis of public-private partnership.

The historical aspects and modern development of tour operating in the framework of travelling along the mountain routes of the Caucasus are well represented in the works of North Caucasian researchers: R.G. Miskarov, R.A. Bachiev; S.M. Chanieva; Ts.V. Li, E.N. Goncharova and others [16, 7,15].

A separate group includes the works devoted to the organization of active and extreme tourism in the South of Russia. In this regard, we can mention such authors as M.A. Akamova, D.A. Ruban; MF. Reps, A.V. Grebenyuk; L.A. Galachieva, S.l. Shagin [1,18, 10].

However, to date, a number of aspects in the field of innovative technologies of active extreme tourism have been poorly studied, the issue of professional organisation of motorbike tourism is even less studied. Hence, this problem requires further research.

Methodology

The methodological basis of the study involves a system-structural analysis in combination with theoretical and empirical research methods of tourism in the Republic of Dag estan; general scientific methods of inquiry: analogy, generalization and specification. Information for the research was collected by applied statistical and sociological methods: survey, comparative and expert assessment, synthesis and systematization of results, etc. The multidimensional approach allowed the authors to avoid unilateralism of the analysis and mould an objective point of view towards the issues studied in the article.

The results of the research

The term "motorcycle tourism" or "motorbike tourism" is considered as one of the types of active tourism in which a motorbike serves as a means of transportation. The development of motorbike tourism is largely facilitated by a significant increase in the production of new types of motorcycles, by expansion of comfortable road networks, service stations, and an increase of roadside accommodation facilities. The concept of "motorbike tourism" refers to both a type of outdoor activities and a kind of sports tourism.

As an active form of recreation, motorbike tourism involves riding along the routes containing tourist attractions. The complexity of such trips can vary from quite simple to extremely high, and routes are usually mapped to take advantage of the motorbike moving fast along the route. However, it is necessary to differentiate motorbike trips and sports motorcycle tourism. Sports motorcycle races are focused on obtaining sports categories and titles, while leisure motorbike tours refuse from deliberate complicating the route, dividing the routes into complexity categories and combine the sports component of the ride with cultural and natural sightseeing. Still, practicing motorbike tourism, people should have enough stamina, possess mechanic, topographic and orienteering skills.

Sports motorcycle tourism was first officially registered in Russia in 1949, when the athletic title of USSR Master of Sports in Tourism was introduced and the Tourist Rescue Service was created. The peak of sports motorcycle tourism in the USSR took place in 1986, when 72 sports trips were made and 498 people participated in them. Subsequently, a classification of motorcycle races was carried out, including six categories of complexi- ty, determined by the length of the route and availability of natural obstacles: sand dunes, mountain passes, traverses, fords. This indicator of complexity is also influenced, to a large extent, by the quality of roads, by the level of comfort of services offered to tourists.

In order for the motorcycle route to receive the appropriate category, it must be registered accordingly. The travel company organising it must fulfil a number of mandatory formalities, and, first of all, ensure the submission of an application for riding the route to the Route Qualification Commission, which are organized at the Sports Tourism Federations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. If the route passes through the border areas, one should apply with a route book for permission to the police station at the place of permanent residence.

However, there are many motorcycle riders who do not seek to receive sports categories and titles but prefer to make multi-day trips to explore the area. This category of tourists can also count on the help of tourist clubs, tourism federations, tourism and excursions councils in choosing a route, obtaining information, and issuing route documents.

Analysing the problem of organising motorbike tours in foreign countries, it is worth focusing on obtaining an international driver's license. According to international treaties, the States signatories to the 1968 Convention on

Road Traffic undertake to recognise national and international driver's licenses issued by units of the State Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Main Internal Affairs Directorate, the Internal Affairs Directorate of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, at the registered place of residence of citizens. Without an international driver's license, it will not be possible to rent a motorcycle or a car. Abroad, this problem is coordinated by insurance companies, not by the law.

Another distinctive and undoubtedly the most important stage of preparing a motorbike group for travelling is further equipping and maintenance of motorbikes to adapt them to a long trip. In order to have enough time to make test rides with a total length of 300-500 km, motorcycle maintenance should be carried out a few weeks before the trip. Selecting equipment for a long journey, it is necessary to divide it into group and individual. Group equipment (tents, utensils, fire accessories, heating devices) should be distributed among the crews. When organising group motorbike tours, motorbikes in the group should be technically equivalent in order to ensure the same speed along the road, if possible, without breaking on the way.

Today, tourist literature is published with a list of the most popular classified routes of different complexity categories in different geographical areas, which can be used as a

standard. The routes with technical complexity, length or duration less than those established for the 1st category belong to non-cat-egorical routes of active tourism.

The most convenient routes for beginner motorbike tourists are in Belarus, the Baltic states. There is a wide network of improved roads, service stations, which guarantees a certain degree of comfort. As you gain experience, you can complicate routes and choose the mountain regions of the Middle and Southern Urals, Crimea, the Caucasus, Moldova. The most experienced, well-trained and technically equipped groups go to the long-distance routes of the fifth and sixth complexity categories in the regions of Kazakhstan, the highland roads of Tien Shan, Pamirs, Altai, Sayans, Dagestan. The sports rides of the highest categories of complexity are carried out, as a rule, in the regions of the Northern Urals, Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Karakum, Plateau Ustyurt. If the route is passed during the off-season, it is possible to increase the complexity category by one level in agreement with the Route Qualification Commission.

Motorbike tourism is only gaining popularity in Russia. The main problems connected with its organisation are the lack of hotels, the shortage of reliable and comfortable vehicles, poor roads, and the lack of professional adver tising. In this regard, it is worth notingthat in the Republic of Dagestan, where there are unique tourist resources for motorbike tourism, the weak technical development of the road infrastructure is more likely to be an advantage that increases the complexity of the route, attracting extreme sports lovers from around the world.

In order to select the optimal forms of promoting motorbike tours, through social networks we conducted a survey of potential consumers of motorbike tourism, the results of which are reflected in the following diagram (Fig. 1).

As you can see from the diagram, motorbike tourism is interesting for a rather large number of tourism enthusiasts. However, only a small percentage (6%) of potential consumers ever took part in such trips and only 11% of respondents saw any advertisements of motorbike tours or read any information about them. At the same time, they would prefer online advertising (in social networks and at a travel company's website) and advertising in specialized journals.

To date, there are not many companies involved in organising standard group motorbike tours, city breaks, individual tours, tours dedicated to motorbike events and other types of motorbike travel. This is due to certain difficulties in organising routes and additional requirements fortravel companies. An example is the geography of motorbike tourism offered by the company Rus Moto Travel.

Table 1 - The geography of motorbike tours offered by travel company Rus Moto Travel.

Motorbike Tours in Russia			International Motorbike Tours
Tourist Destination	Number of Days	Price	Tourist Destination	Number of Days	Price
Unknown Kamchatka	8	from 115000P	Ladakh Kingdom (India, the Himalayas, Small Tibet)	14	from 2490€
Pereslavl — Yaroslvl (city break)	3	from 22000P	In Saint Jacob's Footsteps (Europe, Spain - Portugal)	13	from 2520€
Kolomna — Ryazan (city break)	3	from 22000P	Metropolitan Spain (Europe, Spain)	10	from 1850€
From Capital - to Capital	8	from 65000 P	The Country of Conquistadors (Europe, Spain -Portugal)	11	from 2160€
Baikal Tour	16	from 215000P	Mauritania Kingdom (Africa, Morocco)	13	from 2230€
West — East. Grand Tour	24	from 310000P	Medieval Spain (Europe, Spain)	8	from 1540€
The Country of Lakes — Karelia	9	from 70000P	The Fragment of British Empire (Europe, Spain-Gibraltar)	1	from 180€

Yaroslavl — Pies — Suzdal (city break)	4	from 27000P	White Andalusia (Europe, Spain)	1	from 180€
Uglich — Kalyazin (city break)	3	from 22 000 P	Baltic Breeze (Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)	9	from 90000P
The Caucasus Appeal	9	from 70000 P

It is worth notingthat all motorbike trips organized by Rus Moto Travel are carefully thought out and prepared, from the selection of attractions visited by tourists, to places of

Fig. 2 - Types of tourism in Dagestan overnight stays and entertainment. Moderate day rides and optimally calculated routes are comfortable for both experienced and beginning motorbike tourists.

The tour price usually includes accommodation, meals, transfers from the airport and to the airport, rental of a standard configuration motorcycle.

The North Caucasus is one of the most attractive areas for organising motorbike tourism. The Republic of Dagestan is a poorly studied and poorly mastered mountain area by tourists.

The word "Dagestan" has been known since the 17th century and means "mountain country". According to A.K. Alikberov, "Dagestan" is derived from the name of the ancient mountain state of Hunno-Savir (ancestors of the Kumyks). Another authoritative historian, V.V. Bartold suggests that this name... "appeared, apparently, only in the X/XI century."

The Republic of Dagestan is located in the north-eastern part of the Caucasus, along the Caspian Sea coast. The length of the territory from north to south is 414 km, from west to east - 222 km. The most southerly point of Russia is located on the border with Azerbaijan. The mountains occupy the area of 25.5 thousand km2, and the average height of the entire territory of Dagestan is 960 m. The 245-kilometerstrip of foothills rests on the adjacent plains of the Caspian Sea - the largest lake in the world, which contains up to 90% of the water of all world salt lakes. The Caspian coast in the republic has a length of 530 km. The geographical location of the region and its peculiar landscape have formed a number of unique natural sites of global tourist interest.

Dagestan is the most multinational republic of Russia, where about 35 ethnolin-guistic groups coexist on a small area. About 96% (2.9 million people) of the population are Muslims. This is the highest rate among all constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Thanks to the unique ethnic diversity, the culture of Dagestan is exceptionally multifaceted and interesting. The republic has more than 6.5 thousand monuments of history, culture, architecture, including 1935 objects of federal significance, among which the oldest city in Russia - Derbent, whose history dates back more than 2000 years, - occupies a special place. A numberof sites are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

One of Dagestan's main natural attractions is the canyon located in the Sulak River valley, 53 km long and 1920 m deep, which is the deepest canyon in Europe and one of the deepest in the world, being second only to the Cotahuasi and Co lea canyons in Peru. Karadakh narrow stands out among the unique natural monuments, it is located between Gunibsky and Hunzakhsky Districts and often called the "Gate of Miracles". In Dagestan's nature reserve in Kumtorkalinsky District there is the largest sand dune Sary-Kum in Europe, 262 m high. The only subtropical liana forest in Russia grows in the Samur State Nature Reserve, with an area of almost 2 thousand hectares. In Tabasaran District, not far from Khuchni village, there is the Khuch-ninsky (Khagansky) waterfall, which is about 70 m high. In Dagestan, there are dozens of caves, the most interesting ones are the Ka-rabudakhkent Caves, the largest of which is about 125 m long, it consists of eight halls (grottoes) connected by narrow passages [11].

Dagestan has always been famous for the craftsmen of unique folk crafts whose traditions are alive today. So, the highland aul of the goldsmiths Kubachi (Dakhadaevsky District) is the only place in the North Caucasus and Russia where they possess ancient technologies of precious metals processing. The unique Kubachi works of art are part of the collections of the largest Russian and foreign museums. In Untsukul village (Untsukul District) there is one of a kind decorative and applied art that combined wood carvings and jewellery - "Untsukul cutting with metal on wood." Some exhibits of traditional household items are genuine masterpieces of applied art.

The availability of high-quality wool and natural dyes contributed to the development of carpet weaving in southern Dagestan. The best products are made by carpet weavers of Derbent, Akhtynsky, Tabasaransky, Khivsky and Rutulsky Districts of Dagestan [11]. Today in the Republic of Dagestan the following types of tourism are most developed (Fig. 2).

The good prospects of the tourism industry in the region, in our opinion, are also facilitated by the poor promotion of the recreational centre, which is caused by its border location and remote position from the most famous tourist routes, and by the war hangover that took place in the Caucasus in the recent period.

Dagestan is not rich in accommodation, there are almost no hotels that have an official classification. However, their number is growing every year, and at the same time the level of infrastructure, comfort and hotel culture is increasing. Hotel prices are very low. For example, a double room in a 4* hotel with parking space will cost from 20 to 30 thousand roubles for seven nights. A double room for a week in a budget hotel costs about 10 thousand roubles, there are hotels with lower prices. In addition, as in other regions, there are hostels in Dagestan. The average price there for one person is about 3,000 roubles per week. There are guest houses even in small villages - Chokh, Salta, Kubachi. Even if there is no hotel, you can askto spend a night with local residents. And in Chokh village, for example, there is a remarkable ethno-house. A local enthusiast restored a dilapidated house and turned it into a museum-hotel. For large companies, it is convenient to rent a whole cottage on the seashore, where more than 10 people can stay at once. The cottage costs an average of 9,000 roubles per night.

Dagestan is known for national cuisine. The number and quality of catering enterprises in any city of Dagestan remains high. Tourists rarely remain disappointed with local dishes. Prices in cafes and restaurants are much lower than in central Russia, and the choice of meals is greater. The average bill for two is about 1,500 roubles. This sum can include, for example, several portions of chudu (flat cakes with different filling), stewed fruit, soups and hingels (triangular pieces of dough boiled with meat and served with sauce) or kebabs, lulah kebabs (minced mutton chops), salads and pilaf.

Thus, motorbike trips in Dagestan can become not only informative and interesting, but also quite comfortable. That is why motorbike tourism in the region can be promoted quite effectively today. An effective way to promote motorbike tourism is the participation of tour operator companies in motorbike shows (bike fests) - biker festivals. As a rule, such events are held annually. The organizers are both bike clubs (or motorcycle clubs) and large manufacturers of motorcycles, such as Harley-Davidson. There are private motorbike shows whose participants are invited or recorded in advance, and public ones which can be visited by anyone. There are much more public motorbike events, as a motorbike show is a very democratic event, where hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists gather annually from all over the world.

The opening and closing of the motorcycle season which are held in almost every city in Russia, where there are bike clubs, can be considered motorbike shows. The scales of such motorbike shows are different. The largest events like Motoyaroslavets, which takes place annually in Kaluga region, are held in Kaliningrad, Sevastopol, the festival "Face the Ocean" in the Far East, and there are also low-key motorbike events. Currently, a calendar of bike fests and events has been developed and is being kept.

In this regard, it is worth noting the grandiose XXV International Bike Show, held on August 8-9, 2020 in Sevastopol on Mount Gasforta, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory. The initiators of the event were the famous "night wolves" and their permanent inspirer Alexander Zaldostanov (Surgeon). The Bike Show program was attended by Russian pianist, People's Artist of Russia Yuri Rozum, rock bands Kipe-lov, Vadim Samoilov (Agata Christie), Aria, Gorshenev, Pilot, KnyaZz, MORDOR, Epi-demia, Alexander F. Sklyar, TIME OUT, Yuliya Andreeva and rock band Arkhipelag, MEYTY and others. Moving extraordinary scenery, flying motorcycles and incredible risky tricks, dozens of various moving objects of different historical periods and functions, hundreds of people participating in the program - all this was devoted to the demonstration of the events of the Great Patriotic War.

To promote motorbike tourism tour operators should create pages on their official website for timely exchanging information about motorbike shows and sports events, for discussing attended events, impressions and wishes, for posting articles and reports on travelling.

An important and effective element in promoting the motorbike tour can be specialized periodicals for motorists, such as the magazines "Za Rulem" (At the Wheel), "Avtomir" (Motor World) "Top Gear", "Avtorevu" (Motor Review), "Pyatoye Koleso" (The 5th Wheel), "Autopilot", "AvtoBiznesRevu" (Motor Business Review), "4x4 Polny Privod" (4x4 All-Wheel Drive), as well as advertising on the radio.

Conclusion

Thus, the southern regions of Russia possess high potential for the development of motorbike tourism. In turn, expanding the range of the tourist supply based on the realisation of the unique resources of the region can be effective for the economic growth of the region. At the same time, the development of routes for motorbike tours is a complex, responsible and time-consuming process, as it is necessary to take into account many nuances, and, above all, travellers' safety.