Typologization in tourism as a tool for the formation of a competitive tourist product (example of the Republic of Belarus)

The practice of distinguishing types, forms, classes in tourism has been manifested since the second half of the XX century. The impetus for the emergence of typologization in tourism and market practice was the significantly increased by growing tourists’ flows in the world and the noticeable impact of tourism revenues on the economies of host countries. Despite the fact that the sociological approach has become predominant in the academic allocation of types of tourism, by now the typologization of tourism is gaining the importance as a methodological tool that allows to build and form a competitive tourist product. The article systematizes the theories of various scientists of different historical periods on the allocation of types of tourism. The necessity of an essential separation of the tourism typology from both the demand and supply side is determined, due to the nature of the tourism industry described in the methodological recommendations of Tourism Satellite Accounts introduced by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The issue of the emergence of new types of tourism in the world practice, which it is advisable to take into account, is touched upon. Based on the analysis of regulatory legal acts and statistical data of the Republic of Belarus, the problems in the formation of a competitive Belarusian tourist product in the context of typologization of tourism, including the lack of unity in the representation of a promising species diversity of tourism, have been identified. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in the flow of tourists, especially international, income of the tourism industry. Promising directions for the national tourism policy of the Republic of Belarus are proposed, including the development of new types of tourism: inclusive, metatourism, investment tourism.