Assessing the dynamics of changing the tourism services market of the Volgograd region based on the analysis of the hospitality industry indicators

In recent years, tourism has become one of the few «fast-growing» drivers of the regional economy, generating a multiplier effect on accommodation, catering, transportation, culture, and creative industries. Today, one of the many challenges faced by regional managers is how to enhance the tourist attractiveness of a particular region compared to other successful regions in this field. It is clear that this regionallevel challenge cannot be solved solely by the regional budget. Federal funding is necessary. In this context, the tourism and recreational potential of the region becomes particularly important. The Volgograd Region has a unique combination of historical and patriotic tourist attractions, river cruises, and event tourism, as well as growing agro- and eco-routes. After the general decline in 2020 due to the pandemic, domestic tourism in both Russia and the Volgograd Region has undergone a transformation the structure of demand: some of the outbound demand has been replaced by domestic destinations, increasing the role of interregional centers and river destinations on the Volga. Against this backdrop, quantitative assessments of the dynamics and seasonality of tourist flows and their relationship to the tourism services market are required. This article evaluates the dynamics of tourist flows and key market indicators of the hospitality industry in the Volgograd region from 2014 to 2024, based on official statistical sources. It is noteworthy that after the 2020-2021 downturn, the market has shown a steady recovery, with the tourist flow reaching approximately 2 million people in 2024, an increase of 8.9 % compared to 2023. At the same time, the accommodation infrastructure is expanding.