On the settlement mission on a tourist territory within the Russian tourism development strategy until 2035 (the case of Perm kray)

Автор: Novichkov Nikolay V., Veselkova Elena A., Savchenko Ekaterina A., Novichkova Alexandra V.

Журнал: Современные проблемы сервиса и туризма @spst

Рубрика: Региональные студии туризма

Статья в выпуске: 1 т.14, 2020 года.

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The article shows the features of the construction and the actualization of the rural settlement mission under conditions of post-industrial transformation within the tourist territory development according to Tourism Development Strategy in the Russian Federation until 2035. The article proposes the method of designing the mission as a relevant socially significant role of the settlement as a system in cooperation with the local community and the external economic environment. The authors emphasize the need for constant identifying the compliance of the current settlement mission with current trends of socio-economic, political and cultural development. It should be noted that changing the settlement mission in the process of its historical development is an absolutely typical and normal process. The authors also state that the formation of tourist territory is impossible without its current mission. The study is accomplished as a part of the «Ust-Kachka Historical Park” project, the winner of the Competition of Projects “Cultural Mosaic of Small Cities and Villages” in Volga Federal District of the Russian Federation, and supported by the Charity Foundation by Elena and Gennady Timchenko in 2019-2020 and MBI “Red-Zvodovsky Rural House of Culture”. The study includes interviews with 30 rural opinion leaders. Studying scientific, methodological, and journalistic literature, as well as factual, statistical and analytical material, collected as part of the study, made it possible to draw the conclusions.

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Mission, settlement, economy, culture, local communities, place marketing, social organizations, tourist territory, strategy

Короткий адрес: https://sciup.org/140249870

IDR: 140249870   |   DOI: 10.24411/1995-0411-2020-10109

Текст научной статьи On the settlement mission on a tourist territory within the Russian tourism development strategy until 2035 (the case of Perm kray)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit by-sa/4.0/

In rural settlements in the Russian Federation, post-industrial transformation, characteristic at the turn of XX-XXI for all industrialized countries, has been most pronounced and problematic. It is important to understand that rural settlements in Soviet Russia were an element of the national system of agriculture, in one way or another, integrated into the industrial spatial development of the country. Rural settlements in the RSFSR had already almost completely moved from an agrarian technological, economic and cultural way to an industrial one by the beginning of the XXI century. It was one of the reasons why many, rural settlements - villages, farms and so forth-with the change of the economic relations appeared in danger of disappearance.

Reasons include the following features and trends:

  • -    grant nature of many state farms and collective farms in the RSFSR. The loss of state support resulted not only in the destruction of yesterday's socialist flagships but also in the extremely frequent disappearance of rural settlements,

  • -    the growth of the importance of life quality as a factor in a person 's choice of place to live and life-sustaining activities,

  • -    further technologization of agricultural production, which does not require significant human resources [8, p. 75-81; 10, p. 61-68].

But the main reason for depopulation of rural settlements is, in our point of view, that many of them have not been able (and often they did not have such an opportunity) to find their purpose in new economic and socio-cultural relations. The updating of the reformatting of the mission of rural settlements, especially those adjacent to millennial cities and large economic centers, has significantly increased since the adoption of the Strategy for the Development of Tourism in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2035. This strategy has defined the targets and directions of their achievement within the framework of the formation of Russia as a tourism economy and an attractive direction for tourism development. The strategy allows the regions to form their unique ways to achieve the goals of economic development in the tourism sphere. Conditions should be created for the formation of full-fledged tourist territories in Russia separately.

In order to design a new, relevant mission of Ust-Kachka rural settlement, a comprehensive study of the settlement as a social system was carried out with the identification of the main significant socio-economic, tourist, cultural and other trends, interviewing representatives of the most important audiences for the settlement, holding strategic sessions, forming the main images and generalizing various significant socio-economic and body of cultural knowledge.

Tourism development strategy and development of tourist areas in the Russian Federation

The Strategy for tourism development in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2035 (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy) defines a "tourist territory"1 - a physical space (municipal entity or group of municipalities), which is characterized by the presence of a common tourist product. This definition makes it possible to consider the basic feature of this territory, namely, the general tourist product as an element of attraction, in one way or another, connected to this territory and defining its tourist feature. It is clear that common tourist products for certain territories can be a variety of offers - beach tourism, cultural and cognitive tourism, active tourism, etc. In any case, this product, in one way or another, is connected with exceptional, unique, characteristic features of this tourist territory. As we know, the status of the tourist territory does not appear in itself and is the result of targeted activities to promote the corresponding territory, create the necessary tourist infrastructure, solve problems with personnel, security, etc. Often the tourist territory is referred to only as the region that attracts for a period of time the number of tourists comparable to the size of the permanent population of the territory. As it is known, along with recognized resort centers-Sochi, Yalta, Pyatigorsk-a number of Russian historical cities have such a status - Suzdal, Novgorod Veliky, Rostov Veliky, etc.

This status is sought by all regions and administrative territories that rely on tourism as the basis of long-term socio-economic development. There are also some positive examples at the local, municipal level.

It is quite obvious that it is impossible to form a common tourist product in the territory without identifying the strengths of the territory, special elements of tourist attractiveness and promising directions of tourism development. In this regard, the mission of the territory is becoming relevant.

Mission - as a sign of the social system

One of the basic criteria (together with synergy) of social organization is the presence of a mission or purpose of a social system [1,4,15].

A settlement (like any other social organization) cannot exist without a mission. The settlement must serve someone; meet someone's needs or interests (both private and public). The mission, in its most general form, is the socially significant role of social organization, the social trail that the social system leaves in the world around it. Currently, the search for the purpose of settlements is one of the most important problems of modern social relations. So, the mission of the territory is a role accepted by residents and other audiences interested in the development of the territory as a holistic system in interaction with the internal environment and the surroundingworld.

In terms of the level of cities and other settlements, the mission of the settlement is a socially significant purpose of the settlement, relevant, both for local residents and potential visitors -future residents (on a temporary or permanent basis) from the vicinity and territory of residence significant for the settlement external audience (district, region, etc.) and external communities. The mission answers the question: "Why did the settlement appear or why does it exist?" The most ground-based form of mission manifestation is the economic or cultural connection of the settlement with local residents or other audiences relevant to the settlement.

In fact, the mission answers several key questions:

  • 1.    What unites the inhabitants of the settlement?

  • 2.    What are the earnings of about half of the residents of the settlement connected?

  • 3.    Where will the settlement be developing in the near or distant future?

The significance of defining a settlement's mission is that it:

  • •    represents a basis, a point of support for all decisions in the social organization, for the definition of purposes and tasks, strategic directions and strategic initiatives in its functioning and development;

  • •    ensures the systemic integrity and overall coherence of the activities, existence, and development of the social organization;

  • •    helps the management entity focus efforts, attention and resources on priorities in the existence and development of a social organization;

  • •    causes understanding and support of external audiences interested in the settlement (stakeholders of the social organization): investors, potential partners, consumers, businessmen, potential residents, etc.;

  • •    provides systemic cohesion and more effective interaction of participants of social organization: residents of the settlement, etc.

The search and updating of the mission is a prerequisite for the existence and development of the settlement and one of the main tasks of the local community in the settlement. Agreement within a social organization on its purpose is one of the necessary (but far from sufficient) conditions for the sustained and sustainable development of the settlement. The choice of priority in the purpose can become a system basis for strategic development, revival and effective positioning of the settlement [2], [9, p. 84-96].

As is known, there are many options for the mission of settlements: "capital," fortress, "shopping center," university, "resort," etc. [3, 5,6]. This also applies to potential tourist territories.

As mentioned above, the mission formulates the unique role of the settlement, guides it to the prospects and creates the foundation of development from the real prerequisites. The mission reveals the purpose and meaning of the settlement, its main idea, both in the external environment and in the internal environment.

The role of the mission of the settlement is extremely important, as it ensures the clarity, validity, sustainability, and stability of all its development goals. In addition, the mission determines the desired picture of the future state of the settlement, so it must be supported and implemented not only by state and commercial organizations, but also by the local population, the local community, and society as a whole.

The mission is an important element in creating conditions for sustainable (harmonious) development of the settlement, in which elements of economic development, as well as factors of environmental and social well-being, are known to play an equally important role.

The loss or unawareness of the mission is the most common disease of modern, both urban and rural settlements, as social organizations. In commercial activity, the erosion of the mission leads to bankruptcy, and in the sphere of existence of administrative and social territories results in depopulation and, as a result, the disappearance of settlements as social organizations [11, p.71].

Problematization of Ust-Katka mission as a rural settlement

Ust-Kachka rural settlement is located in Perm Kray of Perm region 50 kilometers from the regional center. Currently, the village consists of 9 settlements with a total population of 6,137. The largest settlements are Ust-Kachka (4,098 inhabitants) and Red Sunrise (1,364 inhabitants). Ust-Kachka was founded in the 17th century on the high bank of Kama. Proximity to the river has always predetermined the activities of its inhabitants. The founding of Perm as a provincial center 300 years ago in the immediate vicinity of Ust-Kachka also had a significant impact on the life and development of this settlement. The key for the modern existence of Ust-Kachka was the discovery in 1934 of hydrogen sulfide healing sources in the area of Krasnokamsk (Perm region), in 1935 - in the area of Ust-Kachka. This was the basis for the opening of a balneological resort here in 1936. After the Great Patriotic War, the health resort acquired the status of an all-Union water resort, which became the largest employer and source of earnings for several generations of villagers. Privatization of the resort and the arrival of a private investor led to the fact that earnings at resorts for residents of Ust-Kachka fell to a minimum, which was a serious test for the modern existence of the settlement.

The study identified three main problems of modern Ust-Kachka as a settlement, local community, and social organization:

  • 1.    Mental and economic division of the territory: 9 villages and villages do not always feel proximity, community, and unity,

  • 2.    The problem of administrative closure of the water resort, as well as the Cadet Corps of the Volga Federal District and other "external" organizations in relation to the settlement, the presence of which in the territory of the settlement has little impact on its economic life and development,

  • 3.    Proximity to Ust-Kachka of Perm from opportunity (big city-expansion of economic range, formation of agglomeration) turns into a problem (big city -strong social gravity, the outflow of economically active population).

The synthesis of respondents' opinions showedthatthe solution, among otherthings, is to identify, adopt and promote a new mission of Ust-Kachka as a rural settlement in the context of post-industrial transformation and modern stage of economic, technological and cultural development.

Historical missions of Ust-Kachka

The study found that Ust-Kachka had already experienced at least three of its historical missions.

  • 1.    The 17th century - the birth of a settlement on the high bank of Kama: a mission - the development of territories through the formation of an agrarian economic order and way of life on them.

  • 2.    The end of the 19th - the beginning of the 20th century: together with the emergence of a class of intellectuals and different people in cities there is a need for summer houses, which is successfully implemented in Ust-Kachka. In addition, the emergence and development of the river shipping company and the construction of the quay stimulate the formation of Ust-Kachka as a river port

  • 3.    The opening of the Ust-Kachka resort based on mineral waters in the 1930s transforms the mission of the settlement into a tourist form of the resort settlement. At the same time, the general mission (resort), in one way or another, is supplemented by three sub-missions indicated above, which play an already secondary or even third role, but nevertheless, remain and have their relevance and importance: a) the role of the agrarian center of local importance, b)the role of the miniport and c)the role of the country village.

of provincial importance. Ust-Kachka's agrarian mission is being modernized and supplemented by the role of the country village in the vicinity of the provincial capital and the river shipping station on Kama.

The latest mission proved to be the most organic for the settlement. This was evident both in the fact that in the second half of the 20th century the majority of the population of Ust-Kachka worked at the resort (part worked, at the same time, in the state farm) and in the fact that Ust-Kachka gained regional, republican and even all-Union fame as an important water resort in the country, along, for example, with "Marzial Waters" in Karelia, the resort in Staraya Russa near Veliky Novgorod. This is what indicates the significance and validity of the mission of the settlement, both for the local population and for the external audience significant for the settlement.

At present, this mission is almost blurred, which manifests itself in the following contradictions:

  • •    the resort, which has become private and, in fact, has been isolated from the settlement, employs only a small number of residents of the settlement, • holiday and wellness visitors are often not involved in the economic, social and cultural life of the settlement,

  • •    the resort purchases a minimum number of food and other goods from the local population and local producers. It is hardly necessary to talk about sustainable (harmonious) development of the settlement, in this context,

  • •    the activity of the local population to promote summer recreation and re

habilitation as economic grounds for the existence of the settlement has a slight impact on the financial and economic results,

  • •    in the public space of Perm region and other regions the brand "Ust-Kachka" is firmly associated with the resort, but not with the settlement.

The important point is that "settlement" is a process, which means that changes occur constantly in it. "Settlement" is not a point in space; it is at least a vector. Consequently, it is necessary to describe this phenomenon. Processes, along with phenomena and objects, are the most typical images of systems, in general. In social systems and social organizations, processes are described in a special way, taking into account all possible social and other movements, both inside and outside the system [7].

The mission of the settlement is inextricably linked to its cultural image. The image of a social organization is a set of ideas about it in the minds of the main stakeholders. The image of the settlement, certainly, is a manifestation of the general culture of this settlement as social organization and reflects history, traditions, corporate memory, models and stereotypes of behavior, visual images, images of the people connected with this settlement and also events of the past and the present, etc. The mission within the image occupies an important but not always locally aware place. Nevertheless, it is somehow linked to all manifestations of the cultural image of the settlement. In general, the role of the culture of social organization as the mental, value and historical basis for the existence and development of the social system in the context of post-industrial transformation is extremely large, as noted by many modern authorsand researchers [12,13,14].

The cultural image of Ust-Kachka, in one way or another, developed in the minds of all respondents interviewed as part of the study, which made it possible to speak about the readiness of representatives of the main audiences connected with the settlement to work on updating the mission of Ust-Kachka rural settlement as a social organization.

Thus, the conducted study clearly demonstrated that there is a pressing need to identify, accept and promote the new mission of Ust-Kachka as a rural settlement (villages with adjacent settlements - Krasnny Voshod, Odina, Palace Sludka, etc.).

Formulation of Ust-Kachka's current mission - the interregional center of healthy lifestyle ("HLS- Ust-Kachka")

Brainstorming, strategic sessions and discussions with residents and representatives of other settlement-related audiences led to the formulation of a new Ust-Kachka's mission, which can be notionally formulated as "HLS- Ust-Kachka."

Based on the carried out research, the mission of "HLS-Ust-Kachka" involves the transformation of the image and internal lifestyle of Ust-Kachka with the priority of any activity, in one way or another, affecting the importance and organicity of a healthy lifestyle as a culture, value, and model of daily behavior.

The mission should manifest itself in the emergence of new traditions, new visual images, new ways of behavior, new businesses and even new rhetoric in Ust-Kachka. This mission is effectively supplemented by other elements and turns Ust-Kachka into a relevant significant tourist and health cluster of interregional and All-Russian importance, demanded by a wide range of audiences (see pic. 1). This feature allows us to identify the presence of a common tourist product and to say that Ust-Kachka as a settlement already claims the status of a tourist territory.

There are many businesses in the settlement, in one way or another, connected with the industry of tourism, hospitality and recreation: from equestrian club and ostrich farm to recreation bases and authors' excursion offices.

The problem of finding a mission from the level: "How to live further?" and "Why do we need it?" came down to the task: "What unites all our beginnings and activity?"

The study found that Ust-Kachka's new (already historically fourth) mission must meet the following criteria:

  • a)    be linked to previous missions;

  • b)    meet the trends of the present and future in the economic development of the region,

  • c)    involve most residents and settlement-related audiences.

In fact, the above-mentioned version of the mission will involve the establishment of a settlement as an interregional tourist centre of HLS: health improvement, and "silver age," and healthy nutrition, and ecological consciousness, and fashionable sports activities in the air, from qigong to hiking routes on picturesque surroundings of Prikamya organically fit here. In fact, Ust-Kachka should become a new tourist center and public resort, promoting a special attitude towards yourself and the world around you. The settlement must change, otherwise, everything will be artificial and not real. Ust-Kachka has a good infrastructure for life. In this regard, the exhead of the settlement Oleg Gaidash even calls Ust-Kachka "a village with urban infrastructure." These circumstances, in general, give some creative optimism.

It is important to complement that there are a number of sustainable global and national trends that update the Ust-Kachka's mission outlined above, among them:

  • 1.    Growing popularity of HLS as a culture, value system and behavior model,

  • 2.    Increasing the importance of ecological thinking and ecological lifestyle, including green economy,

  • 3.    The constant growth of demand for products of ecological, health, active tourism, as well as rural tourism, which, in particular, is indicated in the Strategy for Tourism Development in the Russian Federation for the period upto 20352

  • 4.    Increased importance of rural settlements within agglomerations as a form of "remote access" economic activity, etc.

Acceptance of the mission by the local community and external communities relevant to the settlement

The mission must necessarily be accepted by the local community and otheraudienc-es relevant to the settlement. Currently, the following main audiences relevant for Ust-Kachka as a settlement can be mentioned:

Fig. 1 - The connection of Ust-Kachka's current mission with other complementary public roles

  • 1.    Locals

  • 2.    "Moved" (the residents of other districts and settlements who moved to Ust-Kachka as to the rural settlement with sufficient quality of life),

  • 3.    Summer residents,

  • 4.    Tourists at the resort and other tourists,

  • 5.    Local business and investors

Each of the represented audiences must find their manifestation in a common mission to the settlement.

In the course of work with local community the slogan of Ust-Kachka's mission was formulated: "More life!" Here several positive connotations are put at once:

  • 1.    "You, my Ust-Kachka, are more than my life!"

  • 2.    "We want more life in Ust-Kachka!"

  • 3.    "We want to live happily ever after!"

  • 4.    Connection with previous and future generations.

  • 5.    "Alive Ust-Kachka", "Life is, exactly, in Ust-Kachka"

  • 6.    Wellness and resort creates more life.

  • 7.    HLS forms more life.

Forms of the mission's realization

The new mission of the settlement involves its implementation in various forms and manifestations. Among them:

  • 1.    The appearance of new points of communication between residents and

  • 2.    Emergence of new traditions. For example:

guests of the settlement: library, school museum, resort territory, etc.

  • •    every last Saturday of the month the school museum operates in open access mode for everyone with 5-6 excursions per day, as scheduled. A visit to the museum by all those wishing may be accompanied by donations for its development; • every Saturday, leaders of the local community hold seminars, master classes, etc., in the library on issues of interest to them,

  • •    every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, any time of the year and any weather, there are open classes in the air on collective sports and wellness: yoga, qigong, fitness, Nordic walking, etc.

  • 1.    Appearance of new images: "grandparents engaged on the street"; "a caravan going Scandinavian walking from Ust-Kachka to Krasny Voshod"; "Children riding horses and ostrich" etc.

  • 2.    Manifestation and appearance of leaders of community and new communities

  • 3.    Emerging mission-related activities:

  • •    new health businesses, as well as related to healthy nutrition, with healthy lifestyle; the development of ecological and health tourism should be noted separately;

  • •    new events: festival with conditional names "Fish Day," Health Music, "etc., with access to weekly events with the participation of local and Perm business and cultural community;

  • •    new institutions, for example, Association of development of Ust-Kachka about participation of a local asset and business and also emergence "Ust-Kachka's ambassadors " from people known in the region and in Russia;

  • •    new tourist products, topical, both for Perm region and for all Russia.

The introduction of the new mission involves systematic, continuous and socially significant activities, which should become the main task of the local community inthe coming years.

Conclusion

  • 1.    The identification, acceptance and promotion of a new mission of the rural settlement in the context of post-industrial

  • 2.    The new mission of the settlement must meet the following criteria: a) be linked to previous missions;

transformation are an essential condition for its preservation and development in Russia in modern socio-economic conditions. The acceptance of the mission by the local community is a basic condition for the emergence of common tourist products and, as a result, the establishment of the settlement as a tourist territory.

  • b)    meet the trends of the present and future in the economic development of the surrounding territory,

  • c)    involve the majority of residents and settlement-related audiences in economic and cultural activities.

  • 1.    Any mission of the settlement has to be connected with interests and accepted by locals and other audiences connected with the settlement.

  • 2.    The mission has to be the open system allowing to integrate parallel and adjacent roles and activity into its realization.

  • 3.    Introduction of a new mission of the settlement - full-time and laborious employment of all local community.

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