The paper examines in detail the factors contributing to and hindering the development of rural tourism in the Irkutsk region. The most significant territories for this purpose are currently located in the south of the region and adjacent to the coast of Lake Baikal. Special attention is paid to programs supporting the industry at the federal and regional levels. In the study, transport accessibility of rural settlements is noted as a primary resource for the development of rural tourism. A comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and methodological sources of research by Russian and foreign scientists on rural tourism issues aimed at improving the standard of living of the local population has been carried out. A slight emphasis is placed on the internal relations of participants in farming enterprises and settlements remote from the regional center and other cities, as a factor influencing the development of tourism. The main indicators that are advisable to use for calculating transport accessibility are substantiated, they are determined by the number of regular flights, reduction of time and cost costs and distance from the regional center. It is concluded that settlements with the best transport accessibility will be more successful in developing rural tourism.
Rzhepka et al. (Wed,) studied this question.