Tourist clusters on the Lower Don: peculiarities and problems of development

The article considers the possibility of forming tourist clusters on the territory of the Lower Don. It describes various approaches to the study of regional tourist clusters in the Russian Federation. Special attention is paid to research on organization and functioning of tourist clusters, carried out as part of preparation of theses over the past 10 years in the leading universities of the country. Various ideas about the essence of the definition “tourist cluster” and methods of its study are examined and analyzed. The Lower Don meso-district on the territory of Rostov region is clearly defined territory that has a resource and infrastructure potential for formation and development of tourist clusters. To substantiate their existence the author analyzes tourist resources, tourist and supporting infrastructure. The tourist cluster should include three zones (the core, the base zone and the area of tourism business prospects). The level of significance of the cluster for the target audience, its development and the possibility of management, as well as tourist specialization are also important. The study made it possible to reveal on the territory of the meso-district a functioning self-regulating tourist cluster of the federal level with historical, cultural, business, wine and food specialization; and the city of Rostov-on-Don is the core of it, the base zone is nearby tourist centers, the area of prospects is the sites of neighboring administrative districts. We have also identified opportunities for formation and development of a network of local tourist clusters located on the coastal beach areas of the Don floodplain, which have a bathing and beach specialization and are of interest for residents of nearby cities. These clusters are defined as primary ones requiring management and coordination of activities, solving several infrastructural, organizational and environmental issues.