Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2026 number 1

The article considers the issues of methodological support for assessing the possibility of using archaeological sites in tourism activities. The research base of the identified topic in the global and Russian scientific fields is analyzed. The presented authors’ methodology evaluates each site according to five parameters, namely: transport accessibility, infrastructure provision, events, available excursion programs, as well as public activity. Based on the results of applying the methodology to five districts of the southwest of Rostov oblast (Azovsky, Aksaysky, Myasnikovsky, Rodionovo-Nesvetaysky and Ust-Donetsky), the archaeological sites most promising for inclusion in tourist-excursion routes were identified. The advantages of sites with high ratings in these districts are also described. Proposals for the further use of the assessed sites in tourism, including consideration of the differentiation of their ratings, are presented for discussion. Based on the conducted research, the authors suggested a tourist route with an archaeological focus through the territory of Rostov oblast, “The Solar Plexus of Eurasia”, which includes the sights of the region’s southwestern districts with the highest ratings. Such a route can become a growth point for inbound archaeological tourism in the region and, in the long term, serve as a basis for the formation of infrastructure-supported tourism development poles. For low-rated sites, measures have been proposed to increase their tourist attractiveness and potential use in tourist routes. Furthermore, the prospects for applying this methodology to other districts of Rostov oblast, as well as to other subjects of the Russian Federation, with the possibility of forming national archaeological routes, are outlined.