The situation of the tourism route network and programs on ecological issues in Irkutsk oblast

The study of the state of the tourist route network and related programs is a good indicator of the state and development trends of the tourist sphere of the territories. This approach becomes particularly relevant when this phenomenon is associated with the development of tourism within the vast UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which include Lake Baikal. The aim of the study was the identification of the state of the tourism route network and programs on ecological issues in Irkutsk oblast. Main research methods are: comparative, mathematical, and statistical. The main research approaches were: a comprehensive, ecological, geographical and situational. The study developed and applied methods of the inventory and analysis of tourist routes and programs on ecological issues. All information was gathered on 167 objects, 72 of which have an ecological theme. Most of the identified tourist route network and programs are confined to the coast of Lake Baikal and concentrate on a small part of the region. The study can be useful for the representatives of tourist business and government in the region as an indicator of the situation, as well as directly to consumers of the tourist product. Tourist routes and related programs are characterized by an increased share in length and duration, relatively high prices, the need for a combination of several modes of transport and modes of transportation. Research materials can be useful for the representatives of tourist business and government in the region as an indicator of the situation, as well as directly to consumers of the tourist product.