Recreational Geography and Tourism

The Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism was created in November 25, 2004 for training students in “Tourism” and “Geography” educational programmes. It is the youngest, actively growing department in the Faculty of Geography. The department comprises the Laboratory for Recreational Research, combining education and academic studies. The founder of the department Professor Victor Kruzhalin was elected as the first head of the department.

The educational process at the department is based on the unity of fundamental knowledge, modern information technologies and professional education practices. Particular attention is paid to obtaining knowledge in basic scientific and special tourism disciplines, training professional skills in foreign languages, and applying modern technologies for developing tourism products and activities.

The scientific activities of the department are aimed at developing theoretical, methodological, scientific and practical basics for fundamental and applied geographical research in tourism and recreational systems and include:

• comprehensive assessment of the tourism and recreational potential of the territories;

• studying natural resources and geographical framework of recreational territories at the planning, design and development stages;

• information and cartographic support for the design of tourism and recreational zones at various hierarchical levels;

• working out models for the sustainable development of tourism and recreation;

• research on the socio-economic mechanisms for ensuring sustainable development in tourism and recreation;

• designing tourism clusters and master plans, working out models for their functioning and management;

• studying new trends in tourism development in the context of growing globalization and informatization of modern society.

1. Innovative models and methods for studying tourism and recreation area.
Investigator: Prof. V.I. Kruzhalin

Participants: Yu.N. Golubchikov, S.V. Kibalnikov, K.V. Kruzhalin.

2. Sustainable tourism development: indicators and design of territorial tourist and recreational systems.
Investigator: Associate Professor N.V. Shabalina
Participants: A.D. Nikanorova, T.M. Valkova, A.Y. Kudakaev, O.N. Agisheva.

Investigator: Prof. A.Yu. Aleksandrova
Participants: E.V. Aigina, A.A. Sarafanov, A.G. Sarafanova, I.V. Krasavtsev, M.I. Zhigareva.

Every year the department holds the International Scientific and Practical Conference «Tourism and Recreation: Fundamental and Applied Research» and publish collections of papers based on the results of participants’ presentations.

The department provides training in the following areas:

• Bachelor’s degree in “Tourism”, track 43.03.02;
• Bachelor’s degree in “Geography” (training profile “Recreational Geography and Tourism”), track 05.03.02;
• Master's degree in “Tourism”, track 43.04.02;
• Postgraduate studies, track 1.6.13 “Economic, Social, Political and Recreational Geography” (geographical sciences), full-time (3 years) and part-time (4 years).

Scientific collaboration

Research work is carried out by the department together with specialists from the Faculty of Geography and other departments of Lomonosov Moscow State University, other universities and scientific organizations in Russia (Sochi State University, Tver State University, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kuban State University, Perm State University, Smolensk State University, Baltic Academy of Tourism and Entrepreneurship, Russian International Academy for Tourism and others), Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Culture, Federal Agency for Tourism, professional associations in tourism (Russian Union of Travel Industry, Russian Hotel Association, Association of Tour Operators of Russia, National Hospitality Union and others), as well as abroad (Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Osh State University (Kyrgyzstan), Belarusian State University and others).

From 2023 the department participates in scientific and educational consortium «Sustainable Tourism» uniting national leading scientific, educational and corporate organizations in training personnel for tourism and hospitality industry.

In 2015, the State Award for the development and implementation of a personnel training system for the tourism industry in the Russian Federation was given to the President of the Faculty of Geography Academician Nikolay Kasimov, the Head of the Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism Professor Victor Kruzhalin, Professor Anna Aleksandrova, Associate Professors Kirill Kruzhalin and Natalia Shabalina.

Lectures

Over the years, the department staff prepare and deliver various courses of lectures on academic and applied subjects.

For bachelors:

«Fundamentals of tourism industry»,

«Geography of tourism»,

«Tourism economics»,

«Statistics in tourism»,

«Marketing in tourism industry»,

«Sales technologies»,

«Organization of tourism companies»,

«Transportation and logistics in tourism»,

«Information technologies in tourism industry»,

«Legal foundations of tourism industry»,

«Insurance and risks in tourism»,

«Advertising in tourism»,

«Technology and spatial organisation of tourism (by different types)»,

«Distribution systems in tourism»,

«Fundamentals of tourism and recreation planning»,

«Engineering and geographical research for recreation and tourism»,

«Global tourism market»,

«Certification and standardization of tourism services»,

«Tourist and recreational complex of the Russian Federation» and others.

For masters:

«Innovations in tourism»,

«History and methodology of tourism and recreation studies»,

«Organisation of educational activities and methods of teaching tourism disciplines»,

«Strategies of regional tourism development»,

«Quality management in tourism industry»,

«State regulation of tourism and recreation businesses in Russian Federation»,

«Planning and management of tourism and recreational clusters»,

«Tourism and recreation expert review»,

«Geographical foundations of sustainable tourism development»,

«Types and trends of tourism development (in English)»,

«Tourism destination marketing (in English)»,

«Digital technologies in tourism»,

«E-commerce in tourism»,

«Geographic information systems in recreation and tourism» and others.

Staff