Understanding of sustainable tourism among Russian tourism managers

Abstract

An examination of the understanding of sustainable tourism among Russian tourism managers (RTM) offers insights into methods for designing acceptable sustainable tourism development strategies. Documentary analysis of tourism legislation revealed inconsistency in policies at both local and federal levels while five semi-structured interviews with RTMs revealed low levels of awareness of key aspects of sustainable tourism concepts. Delphi consensus search disclosed RTMs’ associations of sustainable tourism such as nature travel, green tourism, ecological and outdoor, sports and friendly tourism. Achieving a comprehensive understanding of sustainable tourism by RTMs requires raising their awareness on the subject through training and facilitation in the elaboration of sustainable tourism strategies.