Regional features of development of tourism infrastructure and their impact on tourism

Introduction. Tourism activities are important development drivers of regional economies. Regional tourism has gained special significance in the last year, when restrictions on international travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic diverted tourist flows to domestic travel. The research topic is of relevance because of the peculiarities and uneven development of tourism and tourism infrastructure in different regions of Russia and because of the need to identify the causes and consequences of the emerging imbalances. Based on the results of the conducted research, the article identifies the regional features of development of tourism infrastructure and the factors affecting them. Materials and Methods. The study was based on the analysis of official statistical data from Russian Federal State Statistics Service and the Federal Agency for Tourism regarding the development of tourism and tourism infrastructure in the federal districts of the Russian Federation. To identify the level of development of the tourism infrastructure, economic and statistical methods were used, as well as specific indicators characterizing the tourist infrastructure, including the Baretje-Defert and Schneider indices, etc. A horizontal and structural analysis of statistical data on the development of tourism and its infrastructure was carried out, which made it possible to identify the features of regional development of tourism infrastructure. Results. The authors have analyzed statistical data characterizing tourism activities, studied regional imbalances in the development of tourism infrastructure, identified the causes and consequences of uneven development of regional infrastructural support for tourism activities, and formulated proposals for taking them into account when developing strategic master plans for development of tourist areas. Discussion and Conclusion. The results obtained can be used when devising strategies for development of regional infrastructural support for tourism activities, as well as when preparing master plans for tourist destinations, which will contribute to increasing the scientific validity of managerial decisions regarding tourism development at the regional level.