Tourism vector in cultural heritage actualization

The article deals with the involvement of the Russian Federation cultural heritage in tourism activities. A brief de- scription of tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Russia is given. It is confirmed that the country has the ex- tensive and diverse cultural and historical potential which is slightly used in tourism. Currently, culture and tourism convergence serves as the condition for increasing destination attractiveness and competitiveness for living, traveling, working and investing. The reasons for cultural sightseeing tours to Russia deffered demand are revealed. The trend for rising interest to museums, especially to the places that keep authentic samples of artistic, historical, cultural and natural heritage is marked in modern Russian cultural development. Two types of attractions - iconic and flag- ship - are emphasized, their use for tourism purposes is discussed and the conclusion about the necessity of their combination for destination’s sustainable development is given. The international principles of interaction between culture and tourism with the local context priority are given. In order to provide effective interaction between culture and tourism it is proposed to construct special mechanisms and platforms based on a broad stakeholders’ partnership. The event-related activities are discussed as an important form of cooperation between culture and tourism. The state policy in the field of cultural tourism in Russia is characterized, its gradual emergence and modern features are shown, particularly, the change from the growth points arrangement in tourism sector to global interregional tourist routes based on cultural heritage. Theoretical issues are well illustrated with domestic and foreign experience at national, regional and local levels.