Harmonization of Recreational Opportunities and the Growing Tourist Flow in Baikal Nature Reserve Area

Abstract

Tourism as a sphere of economic activity is growing quickly nowadays. Baikal natural territory, unique in its richness and variety, is one of the key competitive advantages of our country as a tourism destination. Lake Baikal is on the top of the most popular Russian natural sites rating on UNESCO World Heritage list. The number of tourists visiting Baikal is growing steadily. Thus, in 2016, both the Irkutsk region and the Buryat Republic were visited by more than 2,5 mln. officially registered tourists including more than 500.000 foreign ones. The following significant problems caused by increase in tourist flow are considered in the article: illegal land seizure and unauthorized building of recreational centers; noncompliance of recreational centers with mandatory health requirements; lack of water production licenses, drain treatment, waste storage and utilization; coasts littering and lack of a valid waste management system; poaching; illegal logging and violation of nature reserve protection regime. Harmonization of sustainable tourism development also presupposes, besides the objectives already set many years ago, the following factors: temporarily restricted access to certain areas; regulation of the tourists flow and location of resorts; regulation of certain goods consumption within Baikal nature reserve area; changing international legislation which regulates visiting world heritage objects; encouraging use of green (sustainable and environmentally-friendly) technologies at the tourist infrastructure enterprises.