Imbalances in the tourism development level of the Russian Federation regions: potential and strategies for tourism development

Tourism is an important, dynamically developing branch of the economy in many countries of the world. For Russia, the role of tourism, especially domestic one, has grown significantly over the past few years, amid geopolitical instability, the closure of many popular international tourist destinations and the reorientation of the economy towards import substitution in all areas. In this regard, there is a need to systematize knowledge about the tourism development level and tourism prospects in the regions of the country. The paper purpose is to compare the tourism potential of the Russian regions through the analysis of the regional tourist resources and the level of tourism influence on their economy. For the analysis, the methodology developed by the authors was used to assess the development level of the tourism and hospitality industry based on 14 indicators of the region’s provision with tourist resources, including infrastructural, climatic, historical and cultural resources, as well as 5 indicators of the impact of tourism on the regional economy through tax revenues, share in GRDP, employment, etc. The analysis of regional statistics for 2021 was carried out using a regression model and the principal component method. The Tourism Development Index (TDI) was developed, based on which four types of regions were identified according to the tourism predominant type and the tourism contribution to the economy. The results obtained will make it possible to develop regional strategies for the tourism development. The developed typology allows not only to take a fresh look at the current level of tourism development in the Russian regions, but also, based on the similarities and differences in the level of tourism development, to offer recommendations to each type of region for subsequent inclusion in tourism development strategies and individual projects of private and public orientation.