SPATIAL ASSESSMENT METHODS IN CREATION OF THE TOURISM AND RECREATION DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT (A CASE STUDY OF THE USTYANSKY DISTRICT, ARKHANGELSK REGION)

Tourism and recreation play an increasingly important role in the economy of regions located in the European territory of Russia. Their importance in the arrangement of space is also constantly increasing. It is essential to include tourism and recreation in the territorial development programs, which, in turn, requires elaboration of concepts for their promotion at inter-regional, regional, and intra-regional levels. The concept of tourism and recreation development is based on a comprehensive assessment of the territory, taking into account its stable characteristics and dynamic indicators. The areal nature of recreational impacts determines the choice of spatial assessment methods. Structurally, the concept of tourism and recreation development contains three blocks: informational, analytical, and practical. The article discusses the concept formation methodology based on two geographical methods: tourist-recreational zoning and construction of a tourist-recreational frame of the region. The practical part of the study is based on the territory of the Ustyansky district of the Arkhangelsk region. The application of the developed methodology to a specific region made it possible to step by step follow the algorithm for using spatial assessment when working with two blocks of the concept: the informational block, which includes a description of the tourist and recreational potential and the current state of the tourism industry, and the analytical block, which defines priority areas for the development of tourism and recreation. The article also shows the formation of the practical block of the concept based on the data collected. It contains ideas concerning promotion of the region’s tourism potential and the main tools for implementing the concept. Spatial assessment makes it possible not only to outline the directions of tourism development in the region but also to give recommendations for organizing high-quality recreation for local residents. The materials of the article can be used to formulate methodological recommendations on the preparation of tourism and recreation development concepts at various regional levels.