Social Tourism in Russia: Potential Tourists and Available Possibilities

Abstract

Tourism is increasingly becoming a research object of social science as one of the issues of consumption. The ability to have a vacation is understood as one of the basic needs, while access to tourist services is seen as both an indicator and a source of inequality. Social tourism is one way to reduce disproportions in access to travel. This is usually defined as trips for socially vulnerable groups supported by government or non-governmental organizations. People with disabilities, elderly people, children and their families and poor households are usually the target of such measures. The involvement of different groups in social tourism varies from one country to another. This article is focused on Russian realities. An analysis of regulations and data such as the Survey of Income and Participation of the Population in Social Programs makes it possible to show who can become a part of social tourism, as well as which households most often face difficulties in organizing their vacation and which other deprivations they suffer from. Regulations do not frequently use the term 'social tourism' but still declare support for some groups of people. Most measures are oriented towards the disabled but almost all the socially vulnerable groups do receive some support. Households with elderly people prevail among those who cannot afford going for vacations. The unavailability of tourist trips is not a special trait of poor: even among those who are well-off face difficulties in going on vacation, a point that underlines the importance of studying and development of social tourism.