Conceptual development of children’s and family tourism in the regional tourism and recreation complex

The tourism direction under study relates to such demographic categories as children and families, which form the closest and most important emotional ties between people. It is known that such relationships influence family relationships, and the family is the center of human activity. The article presents materials emphasizing the importance of developing the direction of children's and family tourism in terms of the regional tourism and recreational complex. Thus, the study analyzed the literature on the selected direction, published over the past 10 years. Research focuses and future trends in the field of children's tourism among domestic and foreign researchers were determined. Based on the analysis, it can be stated that in foreign literature today, interregional projects on studying the phenomenon of children's and family tourism are increasingly encountered, uniting researchers from China, Japan, the USA, Great Britain and Australia. The central place in their research is occupied by the issues of "motivation" and "benefit" in children's and family tourism. In domestic practice, issues of children's tourism have traditionally been associated with additional education programs, local history (a brief historical discourse is given). Domestic authors note the importance of forming children's knowledge and developing skills by integrating them into excursion activities and through the cultivation of the principle of clarity. Based on the conducted research, a map-scheme of centers for studying children's and family tourism in the world was compiled. The work also provides an analysis of the motivational aspects of children's and family tourism and highlights demographic trends. The current regulatory framework for children's tourism in Russia is outlined. A list of necessary changes for the sustainable development of tourism for the target audience of children and families is formulated and provided.