The tourist potential of Russian territories: View from the municipal level

The article examines the development of the tourist potential of Russian territories as a complex of tourist resources that ensure the formation and satisfaction of the needs of potential tourists. The key research method was a survey of heads of municipalities of the Russian Federation. The study has revealed a contradiction between the confidence of municipal leaders in the presence of the tourist potential on their territory and the lack of basic tourist resources in detailed assessments. In the regional context, most territories show a lack of financial resources, private investment, support from sponsors and patrons. At the same time, the authorities identify the problems of the formation of tourist potential in the population’s behavior patterns: the lack of entrepreneurial activity and low effective demand for domestic tourist products. The results of the study show the presence of a stable correlation relationship between the support of government initiatives on the part of the local community and the availability of resources for the government to develop the tourist attractiveness of Russian territories.