Evaluation of Recreational Potential of a Region for Drawing up Territorial Planning Schemes (Using the Example of Novosibirsk Oblast)

Abstract Under present-day conditions, the programs of regional and local socio-economic development include land use planning strategies for tourism development. Therefore, recreation zones along with land plots for recreational and tourist sites construction should be integrated into the territorial planning schemes. This is what makes the topic of this scientific research currently important and determines its practical relevance. The purpose of the study is to assess the recreational potential of municipal entities of Novosibirsk Oblast and to elaborate recommendations for drawing up the territorial planning schemes that could be used for recreation and tourism development in the region. The article discusses theoretical and practical issues of assessing the recreational potential of the area with a view to draw up territorial planning schemes. The issues of assessing the recreational potential to select certain strategic priorities for the socio-economic development at the regional and local level have not yet been properly investigated. When assessing the resource potential, there is the problem of choosing the estimation methods, criteria and indicators. The authors propose to use a comprehensive strategy to assessing the recreational potential of the area with a component-based and integral estimate of resources. When drawing up the territorial planning schemes, the quoted results of the recreational potential assessment of the municipal entities of Novosibirsk Oblast have made it possible to identify the most well-favored areas and provide recommendations on specific land use and composition of themed tourist maps. The strategy and results of the recreational potential assessment were used in the elaboration and rationalization of the tourism-dedicated section in the text of the Strategy of the Socio-Economic Development of Novosibirsk Oblast for the Period through to 2030. The findings are relevant for various government agencies, as well as for those interested in land use planning for recreation and tourism purposes.