Organization of hiking tourism in the Republic of Mordovia

Since tourism is the driver of regional economic development, each destination is looking for resources to organize different types of tourism. The Republic of Mordovia, not having a large variety of natural resources, connects the prospects for its development with environmental, ethnic, and creative types of tourism. The article discusses the possibilities for organizing hiking tourism as one of the most modern areas of the tourism industry. Several definitions of the concept of “tourist trail” are proposed with an analysis of their features. Characteristics of various trails are given according to different classification criteria. The features of the world and Russian organization of tourist trails are characterized. The republican resources that allow for hiking tourism in Mordovia are considered. Since the creation of a walking tourist route requires a certain adherence to priority and the application of standards, the authors propose stages that must be followed to organize a walking tourist trail. Particular attention is paid to the arrangement of hiking trails and navigation. The article emphasizes the need to comply with safety requirements, environmental standards, and the application of maximum permissible load requirements. In this regard, all of the above will contribute to the development of a more effective regional socio-economic policy in the field of tourism.