Maxim Markin, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economic Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Research University Higher School of Economics, on the perception of certain regions by tourists

The senior lecturer of the Department of Economic Sociology of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the National Research University Higher School of Economics told Kommersant about the perception of tourists of certain regions Maxim Markin.

— Despite the negative background and obvious difficulties, we see an increase in the number of domestic tours and a recovery in the outbound flow. What motivates them to do it?

— Tourism is seen as an opportunity to go beyond the daily routine, and this is especially important in times of stress. To some extent, negative events even stimulate travel. This became apparent during the pandemic, when we saw a surge in demand for adventure tourism, partly seen as an opportunity to relieve stress.

— Is there an average portrait of a Russian traveler?

– Hardly. For example, there is a format of an annual beach vacation, it is mainly for family holidays. Young people are traditionally more actively mastering new directions. But there are also specific forms.

Conducting a study of agritourism in Bashkiria this year, we saw a huge intra-regional demand. Not so long ago, the migration of the population from villages to cities took place in the republic, and many parents who still had experience in rural life consider agro-tourism as an opportunity to introduce their children to it. That is, there are new forms of tourism that open up additional opportunities to attract travelers.

— Are there people who cannot be involved in tourism?

– Only those who for some reason do not have the opportunity to travel. In excursion tourism, one can try to draw a parallel with the level of education – this is a cognitive activity, more educated people are involved in it. But if we are talking about a beach holiday or nature trips, there is obviously no such correlation.

– Are there regions where it will not be possible to attract tourists at all?

“You can even attract them by creating an atmosphere. Let’s take Myshkin, where the main attractions are completely man-made, united by a common idea.

— What makes tourists choose certain destinations?

We are social beings and fashion is definitely an important factor. However, mass tourism is always based on safety and predictability. The latter is largely determined by the infrastructure. For example, it is easier for Muscovites to travel due to direct flights to a large number of cities. Having your own car is also important.

— How is the image of a safe or unsafe direction formed? For example, tourists were afraid to go to Dagestan, but now they have stopped.

— Representations of people are often inertial. The older generation remembers well the events of the 1990s in the North Caucasus, they formed negative associations. New directions are more actively mastered by young people who do not have such a reaction.

– Can the attacks on the Crimean bridge and the cities of the peninsula seriously affect the desire of Russians to relax there?

– People often rely on the presence or absence of their own negative experience. We know many examples when tourists come to the same place, to the same hotel for years. Therefore, if certain negative events do not personally affect travelers or their loved ones, you should not expect them to massively change their habits.

– If the desire to travel more often contributes to the stress factor, then with his departure, the dynamics will slow down?

“It is unlikely that we will see any kind of pullback. Still, many will try certain directions, forms of recreation, get used to them. Some redistribution of demand in favor of more relaxed formats of recreation is possible.

Interviewed by Alexandra Mertsalova