In recent years significant changes has taken place in tourist sphere in Russia. Even last year professional editions on tourism marked, that Russia occupies 13^th place in ratings of popularity of countries with the Russian travelers. This year Russia has moved to the second position.

Economic revival in the Russian Federation, the tendency of obvious increase of demand in the internal tourist market create favorable conditions for development of tourism in regions. However absence in provinces of a tourist infrastructure, of a due (international) level and quality of services rendered to tourists, does not allow municipal tourism to compete on a home market and to attract foreign tourists. Besides has it has become a tradition, that tourist Russia is limited to of the Gold ring. Thus, small towns cities have dropped out from a tourist outlook.

However the role of small towns is extremely important in formation of the image of Russia as tourist attractive region. It is typical, that 29 out of 35 towns which have become founders of Association of small and medium-size towns, define the sphere of tourism as one of basic in the development. It testifies to the necessity of paying special attention to development of sphere of municipal tourism as one of the most attractive.

The basic purposes of setting up the Committee: creation of organizational opportunities for development of municipal tourism in Russia (with the stress put on historically informative, ecological and cultural, agrarian and other kinds of tourism).

for tour agencies: getting direct access on a municipal level via administrations of towns and regions (for development of new routes, organization of appropriate tours, participation in investment projects);

for towns: attracting a stream of tourists from capitals and the regional centres; direct attraction of external investment resources; developing tourist industry on the places.

The basic directions of Committee activity

1. Conceptual study of questions of development of municipal tourism (at the level of the Federal policy, regional modification and local practice) and working out its appropriate program and project.
2. Assistance in interaction of participants of tourist activity at a municipal level (tour operators, capital, regional and local tourist agencies, other representatives of tourist business, authorities, representatives of museums and other establishments of culture, etc.) ? in order to increase the efficiency of interaction, forming new including inter-regional tours, improving the quality local tourist service and so forth.
3. Creation of site for business dialogue of persons and organizations interested in development of municipal tourism. Club of development of municipal tourism.
4. Support of investment tourist projects with the participation of administrations of small towns (through Association "MER") and assistance in attraction of investments (to solve problems of building up the necessary tourist infrastructures on places).
5. Assistance in professional training on places. Conducting a series of seminars in small towns (with the participation of tour agencies and administrations) for development modern tools in tourist management.
6. Organizational support in development and the subsequent certification of municipal and inter-municipal tourist routes.
7. Advertising support and promotion of a municipal tourist product; creation of tourist image of the towns - participants of the program of development of municipal tourism on the site "Rusguide-RATA", in mass media (e.g. Just Russia), at exhibitions; attraction of tourists including foreign tourist in rural Russian.