The influence of youth tourism on the image of the territory as a tool of soft power in the context of contemporary international relations

The article is devoted to analysis of youth tourism as a specific socio-cultural formation of the image of the territory, countries in the international youth environment. This is especially true in the context of tourism active interaction of youth, which sets the stage for the development of multidirectional trends in the international stage. The authors refer to the analysis of some aspects of this phenomenon in the context of contemporary international relations, in which there is a clear movement towards the universalization of youth tourism. Today the trend of transition of youth relations and tourism contacts to the area of international politics and public diplomacy is being shaped more and more clearly. For the first time attempt to understand the role of youth tourism as a mechanism of soft power of Russia, allowing it to be used as an in-demand feedback channel with foreign youth, and the role of social and cultural influence on the international space are presented. The authors discuss the problems of formation of image of the country from the point of view of effective use of the potential of having a “protracted” form of development of the Institute for international youth tourism, as a part of foreign cultural policy of Russia. The authors identified the main problematic aspects and factors that characterize a promising role and place of youth tourism as a desired tool of soft power and channels of influence of Russia in the international space.