Factors for sustainable development of small towns

The purpose of the work is to identify the factors of sustainable development of small towns, their connection with the development of tourism, as well as to identify conditions that affect the development of tourism in small towns of the Tula region. The methods of expert assessments were used in the work: the deep individual interviews and questionnaires. The study showed that tourism can make a positive impact on the sustainable development of small towns. Factors affecting tourism development were identified. It is shown that the “appearance of the town” and transport infrastructure are an important factor affecting the attendance of the destination. The historical and cultural heritage of settlements can be used both to create new attractors, and to form the image of tourist destinations. Brands of a place have high potential as attractors.