Attitude to the DMO's roles and interaction with stakeholders in tourism destinations in the North Caucasus region

Management of tourist destinations is a priority area in the modern tourism industry and in economic science. In this regard, destination management organizations are critical players in territorial planning and tourism development. The North Caucasus republics are a growing destination for Russian and foreign tourists, which is why the issue of their development is of particular importance, as it is impossible without addressing the tasks of cooperation among the central tourism-related institutions. The article is focused on the role and problems of functioning of DMO’s in North Caucasus republics, particulary on the two key issues: 1) revealing the conditions and tools for the functional relationships among stakeholders in tourist destinations of the Kabardino-Balkarian, Karachay-Cherkess, and Chechen Republics of the Russian Federation, and 2) identifing the abundance and diversity of actions taken by stakeholders for the coordinated management of these destinations. A comparative characteristic of Russian and European literature approaches to managing a tourist destination makes it possible to understand the modern functions and models of DMOs as the key tool of tourism development. A qualitative and quantitative survey of the key stakeholders’ opinions in the tourist destinations considered allowed making conclusions about the implications for managing ski tourism destinations by a Destination Management Organization in Russia. The analysis of qualitative expert interviews and a quantitative stakeholder survey in the North Caucasus reveals the advantages of coordinated destination management for various stakeholder segments and their potential for further development. The results of the study indicate the underdeveloped state of the DMO system in the North Caucasus republics and highlight the need to implement a set of measures to plan the territorial development of their tourist complexes, particularly in ski tourism.