Recreational potential of the caves of the coast of lake Baikal

Strengthening of the tourist flow to Baikal requires expanding the range of services and the emergence of new points of attraction for tourists. Under these conditions, caving tourism may take a decent niche. Only on the West coast of the lake there are a lot of speleological objects, many of them are located near large recreation centers. The article deals with the recreational potential of 13 most promising caves, whose visit is available for most outdoor enthusiasts. The author describes the most important factors determining the recreational value of speleological objects include their accessibility to visit, attractiveness, excursion significance and method of use. On the basis of the collected information, the author makes an attempt to identify the possibilities of caving tourism development on Lake Baikal. Restraining factors of the development of this product in the local tourism market are the lack of equipped routes and qualified personnel, lack of interest of tour operators, restrictions of their activities in a specially protected natural area. The research results can be used in planning the tourist and recreational activities development on the coast of Lake Baikal.