Assessing the tourism and recreational potential of the region: a methodological approach

The article is devoted to the issues of comprehensive assessment of the tour- ism and recreational potential of the region. The shifting strategic priorities of the Government of the Russian Federation is aimed at reducing disparities in the territorial and sectoral development of the country's regions, rational and effective use of the natural and economic potential. This is relevant in the crisis conditions, characterized by a decrease in the ruble exchange rate and the general purchasing power of the country's population. In this regard, the role of tourism as one of the most promising areas of the national economy in the context of its restructuring and import substitution is growing. The re- search devoted to an objective and comprehensive estimation of the tourism and recreational potential of the country's regions becomes necessary and in demand. The article deals with the types and methods of assessing tourism resources, approaches to assessing the tourism and recreational potential of the territo- ry at the regional and local levels. Scientific works of domestic and foreign researchers in the field of recreational geography, tourism resource research, tourism economics are the basis for this study. Economic and statistical, struc- tural and system analysis are the research methods of the study. indicators affecting the decision-making on tourism management at various levels of government. Since recreational and geographic approach dominates in the research, the issues of economic assessment of tourist resources re- ceives insufficient attention. The article identifies areas for improvement of methodological approaches to the comprehensive assessing the tourism potential of the region, presents the authorial approach to the tourism potential assessment of the region at the municipal level. This approach allows to take into account the unevenness of natural, climatic, historical-cultural and socio-economic and other resources in the regions, to identify the most promising areas for tourism development. Further development of methodological approaches to comprehensive as- sessment of tourism and recreational potential should be guided by strategic priorities for the regional economy development.