Sports tourism to be added to national tourism development project
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth Affairs Boris Paikin proposed to introduce sports tourism into the national tourism development project.
The national project "Tourism and hospitality industry" does not include measures for the development of sports tourism. Meanwhile, hotels could become a base for sports events for amateurs – ski marathons, cycling marathons, running, table tennis. To do this, it is necessary to create the appropriate infrastructure and popularize active recreation, he said, speaking at the forum “Russia is a sports power”.
According to Paikin, the development of the draft laws “On tourism activities” and “On tourist areas” should take into account the development of sports tourism.
"In the autumn session of the State Duma, when developing a bill on tourist territories, we will make proposals related to sports tourism in order to take into account the potential for the development of sports tourism in the created tourist territories and ensure the construction of the necessary sports facilities: landscaped parks, running and cycling paths, swimming pools," the chairman of the committee said.
In Russia, more than 3 million people are engaged in sports tourism. World experience shows that up to 25% of the revenues of the tourism industry of developed countries account for sports tourism.
Source: tourism.interfax