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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.

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.

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