The problem under study is topical and significant because of the needs of modern man in the development of different types of leisure activities and travel in spare time with a rational use of all available tourist resources. The purpose of the article is to identify ethno-cultural aspects of tourism development in the Republic of Kalmykia. The leading method of study is marketing analysis of the recreational areas in the Republic of Kalmykia which allows us to identify ethnic and cultural aspects of tourism development based on Buddhist local colour of the region. The main results of the article present the thorough data analysis of domestic and foreign scientific and methodical literature on the problem of tourism development in Russia and abroad. These results allowed us to draw conclusions about the the tourism development as an environmentally safe form of recreation and travel in the international trade in services. The article has practical value for solving economic, social, demographic and cultural challenges in tourism development. The article also provides knowledge of the folklore and ethnographical traditions of the Kalmyk people.