Ethnocultural zoning and tourism development in the Mari El Republic of tourism business

This article discusses issues related to ethnic and cultural features and the tourism development in the Mari El Republic. The author attempts to evaluate the possibilities and prospects of ethno-tourism development in the Mari El Republic. The region has favorable investment climate. There are factors constraining the tourism development in the region, such as the reliance on traditional forms of tourism and slow response to the changing demands of tourists. The author carries out the ethnocultural zoning of Mari El Republic, taking into account features of the traditions and culture of the peoples living in the region, tourist infrastructure development, promoting ethnic and cul- tural tourism specialization of selected areas. The author offers three princi- ples of ethnic and cultural isolation of recreational zones in the study region: geographic location and status as the capital of the administrative and eco- nomic center - Central ethno-cultural area; cultural zoning of the Mari - Gor- nomariyskaya area with its center in Kozmodemyansk and Morkinsk area with the center in the village Shorunzha; availability of neighborhoods peo- ples of other nationalities (Tatars) - Paranginskaya area with the center in the village of Paranga. The empirical, descriptive and statistical research methods have been used in the article.