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Geography of Tourism in the Baltic Region in Changing Geopolitical Conditions

  • SPATIAL FEATURES OF SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT
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Abstract—

The Baltic macroregion is one of the developed and dynamic (albeit with difficulties typical for 2020–2023) growing tourism regions that attract the attention of researchers. However, as a whole, and, in particular, in comparative geographical terms, it has not been sufficiently studied in depth. The article assesses the territorial features of the level and dynamics of tourism development in this macroregion. To assess the existing differences, the study used comparable data from Rosstat and Eurostat, as well as information from literary sources. An assessment of the level of tourism development and its specific territorial features is given as of 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which interrupted the dynamic development of tourism infrastructure and the increase in tourist flows in all countries. Baltic macroregion countries, as well as the Baltic regions of Russia, Germany and Poland, were grouped according to the level and dynamics of tourism development. It was revealed that the rich natural and cultural–historical potential of the Baltic territories of Baltic region countries has led to a positive dynamics in the development of tourism infrastructure as a whole and tourist flows, including from domestic tourism. The changes that have taken place in 2020–2021 are briefly characterized.

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Notes

  1. World Tourism Organization. International Tourism Highlights, 2020, 2021, Edition, UNWTO, Madrid, https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284422456.

  2. Statista. Arrivals at Tourist Accommodation Establishments. 2019. https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=tour_occ_arnat&lang=en. Accessed June 20, 2022.

  3. On the Activities of Collective General-Purpose Accommodation Establishments (Hotels and Similar Accommodation establishments) in 2019, Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat). Territorial Body of the Federal State Statistics Service for Kaliningrad oblast, Kaliningrad, 2020.

  4. National Economy of the USSR in 1989; Moscow: Finance and Statistics, 1989.

  5. Calculated by the authors from data: A.Yu. Aleksandrova, International Tourism, Moscow, 2002; http://www.anl.az/ el_ru/a/aa_mt.pdf. Accessed March 9, 2023; Territory and population of countries of the world, National Economy of the USSR over 70 years (https://istmat.org/node/93264. Accessed March 9, 2023).

  6. State Report on the State and Development of Tourism in the Russian Federation in 2014, Moscow: Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, 2015, pp. 78–79.

  7. https://lv.sputniknews.ru/20220923/turisty-v-latviyu-chasche-vsego-priezzhayut-iz-sosednikh-stran-i-vsego-na-paru-nochey-22848878.html. Accessed March 9, 2023.

  8. The Baltics have fallen victim to antirussian sanctions), May 31, 2022. https://vz.ru/economy/2022/5/31/1160704.html.

  9. Statista. Leading vacation destinations for German tourists 2020–2022, Published by Statista Research Department, March 17, 2023. https://www.statista.com/sta-tistics/557974/vacation-desti-nations-german-tourists/#:~:text=Leading%20vacation%20desstinations%20for%20German%20tourists%202020%2D2022&text=The%20most%20pop-ular%20vnsacation%20destinations,Bavaria%20and%20the%20North%20Sea.

  10. DRV: Greece among Top Summer 2023 Travel Destinations for Germans, GTP Headlines, March 7, 2023. https://news.gtp.gr/2023/03/07/drv-greece-among-top-summer-2023-travel-destinations-for-ger-mans/#:~:text=The%20top%20five%20summer%202023,(DRV)%2C%20Norbert%20Fiebig.

  11. Kaliningrad entered the top ten cities popular with tourists for trips during the May holidays, News mail.ru, March 27, 2023, https://news.mail.ru/society/55578203/?frommail=1.

  12. Director of Curonian Spit National Park: We were promised up to 30 000 Chinese tourists per month, New Kaliningrad. Informational portal. March 28, 2023, https://www.newkalini-ngrad.ru/news/briefs/community/24039043-direktor-natsparka-kurshskaya-kosa-nam-poobeshchali-do-30-tys-kitayskikh-turistov-v-mesyats.html.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041, Kaliningrad, Russia

    E. G. Kropinova, V. S. Korneevets & G. M. Fedorov

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  1. E. G. Kropinova
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  2. V. S. Korneevets
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  3. G. M. Fedorov
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Correspondence to E. G. Kropinova, V. S. Korneevets or G. M. Fedorov.

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Kropinova, E.G., Korneevets, V.S. & Fedorov, G.M. Geography of Tourism in the Baltic Region in Changing Geopolitical Conditions. Reg. Res. Russ. 13, 428–439 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079970523700880

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