The development of tourism is associated with numerous risks that have a direct and indirect impact on the realization of tourist and recreational potential. In recent years, in addition to internal risks, the importance of external environmental risks (geopolitical and epidemiological) has increased. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the foremost of these risks, and its effects on the development of regional tourism demands attention. The purpose of the study is to estimate the level of tourist and recreational potential of cross-border regions of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, and the possible risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the breakup of the USSR, one of the longest land borders in the world was established between Russia and Kazakhstan. The geographical scope of the study includes 12 constituent entities of the Russian Federation and 7 regions of Kazakhstan. Information posted on statistical portals, data from geographical atlases, and specialized websites of the executive authorities were used as the materials for the study. The tourist and recreational potential of the regions of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan was estimated by the scorecard method, with the assignment of weight coefficients to indicators included in four main clusters: Natural Factors, Cultural and Historical Factors, Social and Economic Factors, and Infrastructure Support of Tourism. Additionally, the experience of studying risks associated with tourism development during the pandemic was summarized. The conclusions reached are indicative of different levels of tourism and recreational potential in cross-border regions of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, and the inconsistency of the industry’s structure. It was found that the COVID-19 pandemic had increased the number of risks for the realization of tourism and recreational potential, which must be taken into account when making management decisions. The authorities of cross-border regions can use the results of the research to adjust tourism policy under the current restrictions and increased global risks. The application of mechanisms and methods of territorial planning and management will depend on the level of tourism and recreational potential. For regions with high and above-average potential, the emphasis should be on participation in federal projects, the development of cluster initiatives, and the application of a diversification strategy. Regions with medium and low potential should focus on the domestic tourist flow, develop inter-regional cooperation, and focus on the strategy of gaining a competitive advantage.

The topicality of the study arises from the need to promote agritourism as an important import substitution. Agritourism itself is a way of addressing important socio-economic challenges of rural development. The Strategy for Development of Tourism in the Russian Federation till 2035 highlights the main directions of digital development in tourism. Agritourism is a form of rural tourism and involves development of a tourist product based on the existing agro-industrial enterprise. The authors must note that there are literally no papers describing digital technologies in agritourism. The goal of the paper is to assess the level of adoption of digital technologies in development of a tourist product in agritourism. The authors propose a special assessment model. We also used interview and scoring as evaluation methods. The assessment model was tested in two constituent entities of the Russian Federation (Leningrad region and Kirov region). We interviewed the owners of those guest houses and farms that form a tourist product in agritourism. The study let us identify digital technology adoption at development, promotion and sales stages of a tourist product. As a result, Kirov region has a low level of digital technology adoption, while Leningrad region has an average one. In general, digital technologies are adopted more in guest houses in Leningrad region rather that in Kirov region due to increasing competition and target audience that makes a greater use of digital services. The results of the study will be useful for agritourism managers. They will be able to identify aspects to improve in order to make a resulting tourist product more competitive. Federal and regional executive authorities may consider certain conclusions of the study (including the principles of sustainable development) when implementing the objectives of the Strategy for Development of Tourism in the Russian Federation till 2035.

Digitalization of tourism in the Russian Federation is primarily associated with the increasing importance of tourism, not only as a way to spend leisure time, but also as a branch of the economy that can generate a significant income and ensure territorial development. Despite a large number of diverse tourism resources in the country, tourism development was highly uneven, concentrating in a limited number of regions. Information technology and especially the Internet has greatly toughened global competition over tourist flows. In today’s world, tourists would rather visit a place about which they can get sufficient information and where a trip can be easily arranged. The role of national and regional tourist web portals, supported by relevant government agencies, is significantly increasing in this context. The tourist information infrastructure should not only provide up-to-date and complete information, but also ensure usability for the tourist (including independent). Tourism within St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region is featured by rather close links between the regions and unification of tourist flows between them. Both regions have a significant quantity of tourist resources, which ensures development of various types of tourism. Creation of the ‘silver Necklace’ interregional route consolidated further integration between tourist resources of the neighboring regions. Tourist portals of these regions, nevertheless, significantly differ in their content and interactive capabilities. As part of the study, the information presented on tourist portals of Russia, St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region in terms of implementing interactive services was reviewed.

Sustainable development has become a prominent reference point in strategic planning and territorial improvement. Economic growth necessitates intensified efforts to utilize resources, often resulting in increased pressure on the environment and heightened social inequality. The application of sustainable development principles holds particular importance for urbanized territories. Assessing the regional sustainability integral indicator can help alleviate unequal socio-economic development among municipalities. This indicator comprises indexes of the sustainability of individual territories. The authors propose the integral indicator as the arithmetic mean of indexes reflecting the sustainable development level of each component (economic, social, environmental). The authors applied this tool to municipalities in the Leningrad Region. Additionally, they conducted a ranking of municipal districts in the region based on the integral indicator. The leaders in sustainable development were the districts included in the St. Petersburg agglomeration. The authors suggest that a significant factor in the sustainable development of a territory is the presence of small enterprises, which possess the necessary flexibility for innovation in the social and environmental spheres. The authors propose distributing the elements of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) potential according to the sustainable development factors of the region. The obtained data will enable the making of administrative decisions at the municipal and regional levels, including those related to the intensity and support for SMEs operating in relevant industries. This methodological approach to assessing the sustainability of the region and its internal municipalities, particularly concerning SMEs, can be utilized to make optimal administrative decisions related to government support for specific business areas.