The Place of Automobile Tourism and Caravaning in the Development of Domestic Tourism: an Ecological Aspect

Abstract

The paper investigates the pressing issues of the autotourism and caravanning development and their
impact on the environment. It also analyzes the state
of the caravanning development in the European
countries, where it is one of the tourism types preferred by travelers. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the number of recreational vehicles and caravans is continuing to grow there at the same rate
as before the pandemic. The research conducted
suggests that caravanning in Russia is developing
relatively slow, compared to that in the European
countries and the USA. Growing flows of automobile tourists in Russia, including because of the
COVID-19 factor, influence negatively on the environment, since the roadside infrastructure does not
minimize the negative effects of traveling motorists.
The trend of the domestic automobile tourism active
development was determined, which is also confirmed by foreign studies. A model for the roadside
tourist complex formation was proposed, taking into
consideration the ecological approach. Recommendations were developed to optimize activities aimed
at creating favorable conditions for the autotourism
and caravanning development and minimizing the
negative affect on the environment.