TERRITORIAL ASYMMETRY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KRASNODAR REGION’s TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL SYSTEM

Abstract

The tourist and recreational system (TRS) of the Krasnodar region has been actively developing for the last 16 years. The exception is the pandemic year, when tourism enterprises around the world suffered enormous losses. The article analyzes the current state of development of the region’s TRS, which allowed us to conclude that its stable development is quite rapid, as evidenced by the main indicators: the dynamics of tourist flow growth for the period from 2006 to 2021 - an increase of 3.5 times, and in some years even more (from 4.8 to 16.8 million people, in 2019 to 17.5 million people); the number of collective accommodation facilities (CAF) has increased significantly - by 4.6 times (from 1183 units in 2006 to 5404 units in 2021); the number of rooms from 2006 (85.6 thousand rooms) to 2020 (190.5 thousand rooms) increased by 2.3 times; the growth of one-time capacity was 2.24 times from 211.2 thousand seats in 2006 up to 473.4 thousand places in 2021; the number of persons placed in CAF of the region increased 3.8 times from 2634.2 thousand people in 2006 to 9980.5 thousand people in 2021; the income of CAF from 2006 to 2021 increased 6.7 times (from 21267 million rubles in 2006 to 142076.6 million rubles in 2021). The state and region support measures helped to achieve stable growth. Also, the development of tourism is promoted at first glance by negative modern economic and geopolitical conditions. In addition, the TRS of the Krasnodar Krai is currently recognized as the best in the country, which also contributes to its development. Leading positions (first place in the National Tourism Rating) were achieved thanks to many factors: natural and climatic, historical and cultural, ethnographic, administrative, economic and political, etc. However, despite all this, there are a number of problems in the development of TRS that require immediate solutions. One of the main problems of the TRS of the Krasnodar region is that it develops extremely heterogeneously. The territorial asymmetry of the development of TRS during the considered 16 years (from 2006 to 2021) remains in favor of the Azov-Black Sea coast of the region and the regional capital - Krasnodar, which are the largest points of attraction of the tourist flow, in view of their possession of enormous tourist resources and consumer orientation. The solution to this problem is moving towards resolution very slowly. Only a small part of the municipalities of the region have improved their indicators regarding the infrastructure complex of the territory for the creation, promotion and sale of tourist products over the considered 16 years. Most municipalities still have a low level of provision with the necessary infrastructure.