2017 Vol. 9 №4

Developing cross-border tourist routes is an effective way of developing cooperation between border regions of Russia and the neighbouring countries. The author presents an approach that interprets cross-border tourist routes as an instrument for the conservation, reproduction, and promotion of natural, cultural, and historical potential and as a means to boost business activities in border regions. This article summarises international practices and presents the theoretical and practical aspects of designing and developing transboundary tourist routes in the border regions of Russia’s North-West. The author describes successful tourist routes within the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) crossborder cooperation programmes. Particular attention is paid to the routes in the Republic of Karelia — the Blue Road, the White Road, and the Mining Road. The article stresses the importance of developing transboundary tourist routes in the border regions of Russia’s North-West. Designing and developing transboundary tourist routes is a step towards a transboundary tourist space. The author outlines avenues towards the development of transboundary tourist routes and transboundary tourism in the border regions of Russia’s North-West.

In recent years, the development of historical cities has been high on research agenda. This is explained by the growing role of tourism and recreation in socioeconomic development and the persisting problem of the national economy’s spatial organisation amidst the absence of a clear-cut regional policy. The authors stress the discrepancy between the distribution of economic activities and the established system of settlement. This is particularly true for many historical cities, whose economic resources have been curtailed. This study provides a rationale for a more efficient use of the tourist and recreational potential to boost the socio-economic development of Russia’s historical cities. The article describes problems of the cities’ development using the country’s North-West as an example. The authors explore factors behind the formation of a new development strategy for historical cities and analyse conditions necessary for the efficient exploitation of the historical cities’ tourism and recreation potential. The findings obtained suggest that strategic areas of tourism and recreation development in Russia’s historical cities should be identified depending on city type, development conditions and other relevant factors.