A tourist and recreational potential of the Kulunda steppe as the basis for the diversification of its economy

Abstract

This article presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of the tourist and recreational potential (TRP) of the Kulunda steppe (within the Altai Region). Evaluation methodology was used in the paper, which allowed to take into account both the natural and recreational resources of the territory, as well as the socio-economic and socio-cultural conditions for developing tourism and recreation were analyzed. Evaluation and mapping of the territory’s TRP was carried out using the functionality of the GIS MapInfo and ArcGIS. Based on the selected cores of the TRP concentration, a system of tourist and recreational clusters of various specializations was designed. These clusters should become nodes of the basic recreational framework of the Kulunda steppe.