Studying the tourist image of the Udmurt Republic

The development of domestic and inbound tourism is a strategic-significant for the Udmurt Republic. In frameworks of work on territorial branding formation of positive tourist image is a tool of the state management of tourism in the Republic, allowing to ensure its competitiveness as a tourist destination. The starting point in the work on the formation of the image is an assessment of its current status among target audiences, identifying the potential for further development and constraints. This article provides the results of a sociological study carried out with the aim of assessment of the current state of the tourist image of the Udmurt Republic. The value of the research lies in the collection of primary data and the conclusions drawn from it. The research shows that the image of Udmurtia, as a set of ideas of key sights, natural and climatic resources, cultural features and infrastructure facilities, develops from the following statement: «Izhevsk is the capital of weapons», «Udmurtia - the region of residence of the Udmurts, Udmurt culture and traditions», «the birthplace of Tchaikovsky», «the city of car and motorbike brand "IZH"». Let us note that weapons in particular, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the most stable elements of the image of Udmurtia. None of these brands is originally a tourist brand, their formation and sustainable functioning is associated, first of all, with the development of the region's industry, its ethnocultural features. The exception is the brand - "Udmurtia - the birthplace of Tchaikovsky", formed as a tourist It can also be stated that there is potential for the development of local brands and further construction of a sustainable territorial brand "the Udmurt Republic".