Problems and contradictions of recreational geography: an institutional aspect
O.V. EVSTROPYEVA
V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
Keywords: institutional theory, tourism and recreational activities, territorial organization, territorial recreational system, ecotourism
Abstract
The aim of the study is to analyze the problems and contradictions of recreational geography from the institutional perspective. The starting point is the involvement of recreational geography in the institutional development of tourism. This is reflected in studies of natural-social-economic links subject to regulation, in development of a terminological and methodological basis for the practice of territorial planning of tourism and recreation, as well as the creation of specialized laws and regulations. The article provides a recreational-geographical interpretation of the most important concepts and notions of institutional theory used in the study. The problems and contradictions considered in recreational geography are interconnected. They are conditionally divided into theoretical, specific and applied. Theoretical contradictions are expressed in different or opposite meanings that are embedded in the basic scientific concepts of “tourism” and “recreation”. Specific contradictions are associated with heated discussions about the identification and delimitation of individual types of tourism and recreational activities and the criteria for their classification. The most striking example is the opposition of mass and ecological tourism. Applied contradictions arise when solving practical problems in the field of territorial planning of tourism and recreation, as well as when designing and creating new territorial recreational systems without taking into account institutional conditions. To remove the identified problems and contradictions, the core of the institution responsible for the organization and regulation of tourism and recreational activities is of key importance. Such an institutional core is the universal right to rest and vacation. The problem of distinguishing between the concepts of “tourism” and “recreation” comes down to ensuring the completeness of the social and economic functions of tourism, which have received the most pronounced development in different institutional matrices. The existence of an invariant that interacts with other institutions is recognized. This solves the problems of classifying types of tourism based on an institutional criterion, determining the specialization of specific territories taking into account their economic and environmental functions.
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