Assessment of the tourism industry development in the regions of the Volga Federal District

Subject. The article discusses the tourism industry development in the regions of the Volga Federal District. Objectives. The aim is to determine the level of development of the tourism industry in the regions of the studied macroregion, based on the proposed integrated assessment. Methods. The study employs methods of analogy, classification, synthesis, induction, deduction, dynamic and comparative analysis, and the distance method. Results. The main indicators of tourism development were combined into four blocks, i.e. the size of tourist flow, performance indicators of tourism companies, assessment of tourism infrastructure, and performance indicators of collective accommodation facilities. All blocks of indicators were combined into an integrated assessment of the tourism industry development, based on the distance method, which acts as an effective tool for economic analysis of regional space. Based on the proposed indicator, I compiled a rating and typology of the Volga Federal District regions in terms of the level of tourism industry development. The subjects of the district were classified into three groups (regions with high, medium, and low level of tourism development). I also considered the successful practice of measures for the development of tourism in the leading regions, identified on the basis of the compiled rating. Conclusions. In the regions of the Volga Federal District, the process of tourism industry development is extremely uneven. The successful practice of regions in the field of tourism services promotion can be useful to the subjects of the country where tourism is less developed.