LENINGRAD REGION – THE TERRITORY OF ECOLOGICAL TOURISM

The article considers Leningrad region as a territory with enormous potential for the ecological tourism development. The authors show the features of the physic-geographical position and associated natural features of the region. They are the following: climate, relief, inland waters, flora and fauna, which together predetermine the multifaceted possibilities for the creation and development of ecological tours. Moreover, the well-developed network of specially protected natural areas is an important issue. The region has central, neighbor and coastal geographical position and borders with economically developed regions. all this provides additional opportunities to attract tourists and form a tourist flow. According to recent rating research, now the region belongs to areas with relatively high indicators of tourism development. In general Leningrad region has the index value of the tourist infrastructure development level below the average value obtained for the subjects of the North-western Federal District. The authors offer their understanding of the term of «ecological tourism», and pay particular attention to the fact that this type of tourism can be developed both in specially protected natural areas and outside them. In the article special attention is paid to identifying the reasons of the low attendance of specially protected natural areas and the unpopularity of ecological tours. On this basis the article proposes the measures to stimulate the ecological tourism development in Leningrad Region. The last one is promising segment of the market that positively affects the region’s development, including economic sphere.