Spatial development of ethno-cultural tourism: a case study of the «Baikal» macro-territory tourism scheme

The paper is devoted to the issues of spatial development of ethnocultural tourism in the Baikal macro-territory (Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia). The purpose of the study is to identify the imbalances in the territorial organization of ethnocultural attractors and to formulate practical recommendations for their elimination in order to increase the sustainability of the tourist system. Special attention is paid to the use of ethnocultural tourism as a tool for integrating indigenous communities into regional economic processes and improving their quality of life. Based on the spatial and qualitative analysis of 41 ethnocultural points of attraction, three categories of objects were identified: the most in demand, with high potential and unpopular. It has been established that 68 % of all attractors, including the most in-demand ones, are concentrated in the Republic of Buryatia in the Ulan-Ude agglomeration, while in the Irkutsk region ethnocultural tourism develops in a decentralized manner and is not tied to large urban centers and entry points. Measures are proposed to cluster the attractors and ensure transport connectivity between them to form an ethnorecreational framework for the development of tourism. The thesis is put forward that the key condition for the balanced development of tourism is the systematic use of its potential. It is proposed to create a single brand of the macroterritory and integrate disparate ethno-cultural practices into it, including through the creation of multidisciplinary routes. The hypothesis has been confirmed that the integration of ethnocultural tourism into the tourist offer of the region will help reduce the anthropogenic burden on Lake Baikal and improve the socio-economic situation of indigenous peoples.