Home – Home – Jornals – Region: Economics and Sociology 2025 number 1

Awareness of the need to shift the development paradigm has led to the formation of the circular economy (CE) concept and the search for practical ways to transition industries and business sectors to this new model. Despite the limited research on the applicability of the CE concept in tourism, as noted by many authors, there is growing recognition that the circular transition and the application of CE principles by participants in the tourism sector are inevitable. However, there are several significant organizational, economic, and institutional barriers - both general and specific to the tourism sector - that hinder CE formation and development. Studies on triggers and barriers identify underdeveloped institutional conditions as the primary obstacles to the circular transformation of tourism. These include the failure to incorporate transition goals into strategies and plans for the development of tourism and tourist destinations, as well as the insufficient infrastructure needed to support CE functioning. The current research seeks to assess the maturity level of these conditions in the Russian economy’s tourism sector. It aims to determine the extent to which the goals and objectives for environmentally oriented infrastructure modernization and the creation of tourism CE infrastructure are reflected in official strategic planning documents at various levels of governance. The research findings indicate that, at the federal level, goals and objectives are being set for CE formation and certain components of CE infrastructure. Measures are being taken to establish the necessary institutional and organizational conditions, although there remains a lack of deep understanding of the CE concept and awareness of the need for a systematic approach to building CE infrastructure. At the regional and municipal levels, such goals are not set, even in the long term. This represents a significant barrier to the implementation of federal initiatives and highlights the need for meaningful coordination of goals and strategies to ensure their achievement.