The paper discusses options for tourist development of the Altai-Sayan region. For this purpose, a comparison is made between the current state of tourism and sustainable development of tourism. This makes it possible to propose five stages for the strategy of sustainable tourism development in the Altai-Sayan mountain region. The preservation of biodiversity and ethnic characteristics of the territory underlie the ethnoecological type of tourism, being the most consistent with the principles of sustainable development and promising in the studied mountain region. Functional zoning is considered as an important method for balancing and optimizing environmental management. It is proposed to use the landscape-adaptive principle as a basis for spatial planning of tourist service in the mountainous region. The spatial elements of the tourist network of the mountain region were analyzed. This made it possible to reveal the predominance of the linear structure in connection with the mountain-valley relief. There are also examples of radiation, dispersion, focal and linear-perpendicular structures of tourist networks. This allowed highlighting the priorities of tourist development for different territories. Functional zoning of the Altai-Sayan region with the identification of priorities in the development of the territory was proposed. This allowed identifying the spatial distribution of areas of intensive tourist use and areas of nature preservation and ecotourism. In addition, zones of weak economic development were identified with a predominance of tourist routes, as well as those of medium economic development with local tourist centers.

Mountain regions are natural boundaries and, in most cases, they are characterized by a fragmentation of ethnic composition and are places of contact between countries. Currently, national parks and reserves have been created in the border mountain areas. Touching within the state border, they require special attention for their sustainable development. In Central Asia, one of these regions is the Altai. In these areas, some specially protected natural territories were created as part of the World Heritage reserve, to preserve the nature, culture, traditions, and archeology of the four states. Studies of this area have revealed possible options for the development of cross-border tourism. This requires a coordinated policy on tourism management in cross-border destinations and the development of cross-border tourism. The results of the study made it possible to carry out functional zoning of the cross-border territory, develop a network of tourist routes and make recommendations on the creation of border crossings, as well as on the development of tourist infrastructure.

Health tourism is a specific type of tourism with great prospects. Most people do not have time for long trips, but there is a great need for a change of scenery and restoration of strength. There are many examples when in the regions in order to improve health and relaxation, nearby areas are being developed. It is most promising to create programs for such tourism near existing resorts that have the necessary infrastructure and medical facilities, while individual client requests must be taken into account. It is proposed to research health tourism as a territorial tourist complex, which includes not only specialized infrastructure but also territories adjacent to resorts. It is noted that low-mountain areas have the most suitable spaces for tourism development. By the example of the Belokurikha resort, the goals of visiting and tourist satisfaction are identified, as well as the possibilities of developing health tourism. A model for designing individual programs for health tourism is proposed.

The article presents critical review of approaches to understanding cross-border tourism cooperation. The authors substantiate peculiarities of tourism development in the mountain region, revealing the possible influence of tourism on the border regions, which can be both positive and negative. The paper examines five types of cross-border tourist structures using the example of the Altai-Sayan mountain region. Those types determine the direction and potential of cross-border tourism cooperation. The authors consider the possibilities of organizing the development of various types of tourism in the border area. Tourism can contribute to the sustainable development of a mountainous transboundary region.

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