Prospects of historical and cultural tourism for the sociocultural adaptation of foreign students

Problem and objective. The problematic field of the paper is defined by two tendencies. On the one hand, the number of foreign students in all world-class universities continues to grow, which is accompanied by inevitable difficulties they encounter during the period of sociocultural adaptation. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in historical and cultural tourism as a way to directly get acquainted with the specifics of a certain region all over the world. Historical and cultural tourism allows for the fastest possible immersion in the culture of another country and acquaintance with its codes and meanings. Therefore, the authors suggest using the pattern of “tourist” entry of foreign students into a new reality, where the content of historical and cultural routes will be focused on the cultural patterns common to all peoples, facilitating the socio-cultural adaptation of young people in a new environment. The aim of the study is to identify the prospects and methods of using historical and cultural tourism as a tool for the sociocultural adaptation of foreign students at the stage of entering a new social reality. Methods. The study is based on the results of the sociological survey of foreign students of the Ufa University of Science and Technology. The survey involved 54 students from 14 countries. The questionnaire was compiled in a combined format using open-ended and closed-ended questions. The questions were systematized into two blocks – “Sociocultural adaptation” and “Historical and cultural tourism”. KEYWORDS Results. The analysis of the results of the questionnaire survey of foreign students revealed that 27.7% of the respondents had serious difficulties and problems when entering the new socio-cultural reality. Generalization of the questionnaire results showed the demand for cultural immersion to optimize adaptation processes, including through historical and cultural tourism. Seventy-four percent of students who participated in the study stated that the most appropriate tools to get acquainted with the city and its culture are walks in the historical center and participation in city festivals and holidays, i.e. both classical and event tourism are of interest. At the same time, 63% of the participants would like to see their peers, who are familiar with the history and urban landscape, as tour guides, i.e. foreign students prefer to get acquainted with the historical and cultural heritage with the help of volunteer guides from among their peers rather than professional guides. Conclusion. The potential of historical and cultural tourism as a means of sociocultural adaptation of foreign students should be revised. This will allow foreign students to go through the process of entering the new reality more quickly and seamlessly.