Integrated Logistics as a Competitive Advantage in Tourism Industry of Country

Today competition in the field of tourism has moved from the level of countries as tourist destinations to a new level integration associations of countries, i.e. over-macro level. The initiative of the leader of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to create new Eurasian geopolitical projects the Silk Road Economic Belt and Sea Silk Road during the 21st Century or the strategy “Belt and Road Initiative” (“BRI”) involves developing existing and creating new competitive advantages in various areas of economic activity, including tourism for participating countries. However, a practical mechanism for the implementation of the identified areas of tourism development in the framework of this mega-project does not yet exist. The authors propose using the principles of integrated logistics in the formation of this mechanism. It is the methodology of integrated logistics that will allow to scientifically substantiate and form competitive advantages in the tourism sector at all levels of the hierarchy of this project. These include such as the ability to exchange information and resources between all business entities; lower costs due to the balance of operations, economies of scale; increase in tourist flow due to more informed forecasts, planning and prioritization, more efficient use of various types of resources; balanced tourist flow by season by integrating producer of travel services, tour operators, travel agents and customers into one logistics system; providing quality logistics services to tourists through the development of standardized business processes. Using the example of the Russian Federation (RF) and the Chine, an algorithm is proposed for the formation of new and development of existing competitive advantages in the tourism sector within the framework of the BRI based on the use of program-oriented and design approaches. The authors give a conceptual scheme for creating and developing competitive advantages in the field of tourism in the Russian Federation and China within the framework of the mega-project of BRI on the principles of integrated logistics. Keywords—integrated logistics, tourism, competitive advantages, digitalization, megaproject “Belt and Road Initiative”.