“Intourist” - on the stability of brand and vicissitudes of the history

The article deals with history of specific problems of interference of the ideology, policy and economy, which turn tourism from an independent field of activity into the tool of the solution of the current ideological and political tasks. «Intourist» during a long historical period acted as such tool due to its special role and dominant position in the tourism industry of the Soviet Union. The author draws the conclusion that long existence and stability of a brand «Intourist» are caused by specific conditions of its existence and strong support from party and govern- ment institutions of the USSR. Based on statistical data, correlation between development indicators of entrance tourism in the USSR and a development level of the communistic move- ment in a number of the European countries is shown. The authors concludes that the true objective of increasing inbound tourism flows in the Soviet Union were the ideological and po- litical, namely, the promoting achievements of the USSR in building socialism and communism, and the desire to expand its international influence by secret funding of communist orientation parties in foreign countries. The article describes the history of existence and transformation of «Intourist» from the moment of its creation and up to now. The author also considers cause- and-effect relations between political and ideological problems solved by Communist party of the Soviet Union in certain historical period and the status of «Intourist» in system of public administration. The article demonstrates nonconventional approaches to research the histori- cal, economic and organizational processes, which have been happened and happen now in the Soviet and Russian tourism. It allows to look at its development under a new point of view.