CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION PROGRAMS AS TOOL OF THE REGIONAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KARELIA
International project activities in the tourism sector are considered a significant toolfor regional tourism business development. The research platform was the border regionof the North-West of Russia - the Republic of Karelia. The purpose of the research isto identify the significance of the cross-border cooperation Program in regional tourismdevelopment in the Republic of Karelia. For the first time, an array of information oninternational tourism projects (about 30 projects) of two cross-border cooperationPrograms was analyzed: European Neighbourhood Policy “Karelia” (2007-2013) andEuropean Neighbourhood Policy “Karelia” (2014-2020). The research made it possible to identify the main trends in the development ofinternational project activities in the field of tourism in the border region. The articlesubstantiates the high significance of the implementation of the international project forregional development. It shows the significant international projects contributing to thedevelopment and improvement of the infrastructure component of the tourism business,to the preservation, reproduction, and promotion of the cultural, historical, and naturalheritage of the Republic of Karelia. The results obtained have made it possible to form a comprehensive view of thesignificance ofinternational projects for the development of the tourism sector in the region,and can also be applied in the study of international cooperation and tourism development.