Development of ethno-tourism in the Mari El Republic

In the current crisis the development of domestic tourism is very important. Further promotion of ethno tourism may be a promising and popular trend in the domestic market of tourist services of the regions. In the study, the author exam- ined the characteristics of nature, history, culture and religion of indigenous peoples of Mari land as the most important factors of tourism development in the region. The article presents the analysis of state of ethno tourism in the Mari El Republic. The author outlines the main directions of its development in the region that dip into the cultural environment: ethnographic museums, hotels and recreational facilities with an ethnic flavor, ethno-villages, and rural guest houses. The expert survey in order to identify the prospects for the development of ethno tourism in Mari El has been conducted. The contradictions in the law, inadequate infrastructure in the country, weak advertising campaign to attract tourists to the region, sometimes a lack of interest of local authorities in the development of tourism are the main difficulties in the ethno tourism development. The author suggests ways of further development of ethno tourism in Mari El. It is neces- sary to develop a targeted program for the development of tourism in t Mari El, with an emphasis on ethno tourism.