STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE TOURIST FLOW AND FORECASTING OF ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACTS: A CASE STUDY OF OLKHON ISLAND (BAIKAL, IRKUTSK OBLAST)
O.V. Evstropyeva, T.I. Zabortseva, P.V. Rogov, O.A. Ignatova, K.V. Dulya
V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
Keywords: Lake Baikal, island municipal district, tourism and recreational activities, structure of the tourist flow, environmental and economic problems, environmental protection infrastructure
Abstract
The article presents the results of the research on the assessment of the flow of holidaymakers for the most attractive Baikal territory of Irkutsk oblast, namely, Olkhon Island, which is the largest island of the lake. In the territory of Olkhon Island there is the Khuzhir rural municipal district, which receives from 200 to 500 thousand tourists and vacationers per year (the number of permanent residents is about 2 thousand people). To perform the assessment, a differentiated approach was used, taking into account the structure, dynamics and territorial organization of tourism and recreational activities, as well as its confinement to the most significant objects of infrastructure and tourist interest. The data obtained during the field observations and provided by specialized organizations (FSBI “Zapovednoye Pribaikalye”, the N.M. Revyakin Museum of Local History, the territorial department of the statistical office, etc.) are summarized. The article reveals the features of the annual dynamics of the tourist flow, which is characterized by seasonal fluctuations with a summer maximum in July-August and a winter maximum in February-March. Groups of tourists are identified according to the form of accommodation. The prevalence of tourists using collective accommodation facilities has been established, while the number of those using tents has decreased. The spatial distribution of the flow of vacationers can be characterized as monofocal: the predominant number of collective accommodation facilities is located in the village of Khuzhir and its environs; auto tourists also prefer the shore of the Khuzhir Bay. Based on the analysis of the occupancy of accommodation facilities, a forecast of the demand for hospitality facilities is made. The problems of the stay of tourists and vacationers, whose number many times exceeds the number of permanent residents in the absence of accessible environmental protection infrastructure are identified. The calculation of the formation of consumer solid municipal waste generated in the process of consumption by tourists is performed. The article demonstrates the possibility of the chosen research approach for a comprehensive assessment of the tourist flow as well as the need to provide attractive areas with adequate environmental protection infrastructure.
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