Development potential of tourist and recreational activities in the territory of the Central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory (pilot survey-based evaluation)

The paper presents the results of a summer survey of tourists within the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory (2016 and 2018). In recent strategic and program documents, the positions of tourist and recreational activities are strengthened and the response-opinion of more than a million tourist flow must be taken into account. First, the authors assess the respondents’ priority positions on the choice of the Baikal coast as a travel destination for a family, a friendly company and individual travelers. Secondly, based on the analysis of conversations on the questionnaire, the authors reveal both the safety of the environment and the deficiencies (costs) in arranging places of mass recreation here. Comparison of the results of the previous (2016) and the recently conducted survey of respondents (2018) shows unexpectedly many “opinions-coincidences” in the ranking of motivation for recreation sites selection by our compatriots: “nature beauties”, “unpolluted air and water”, “everyone should visit it», «unity with nature” and references to “adventure” are also found(both place in ranking and in percentage)...