Territorial differentiation of tourist resources as a driver for special types of tourism in the south of Russia

Territorial differentiation is the spatial diversity of geographical objects and phenomena, manifested in their alternation, compatibility and the presence of various relationships between them. The purpose of the study is to analyze and summarize data on the territorial differentiation of tourist resources in the South of Russia, which serve as the basis for the development of various special types of tourism. The study is based on a generalization of official statistical data using geoinformation modeling methods. The article substantiates significance of studying the features of the distribution of tourist resources. Conclusions are presented on the main patterns of the spatial distribution of natural and cultural resources in the territory of the South of Russia, the areas that are priority for the development of special types of tourism are identified in the territorial context. The author indicates the types of tourism that have been developed in the territory of the Russian South: beach, balneological, sports, ecological, cultural, ethnographic, tourism in the locations of traditional arts crafts. Keywords: territorial differentiation, tourist resources, special types of tourism, South of Russia