THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF RECREATIONAL CARRYING CAPACITY OF NATURAL TERRITORIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17072/2079-7877-2025-3-165-175Keywords:
recreational carrying capacity, permissible recreational load (numerical visitor capacity), recreational nature use, recreational impact, recreational load on protected natural areasAbstract
The paper presents a retrospective analysis of the development of the ‘recreational carrying capacity’
concept as a central framework for tourism and visitor management in natural protected areas and also provides an overview of major international and Russian approaches to its determination.
The authors identify three distinct periods in the evolution of the term ‘recreational carrying capacity’. The genesis
of the concept is traced back to grazing land management theory, which established the relationship between ecosystem
degradation and the intensity of use. The second period, spanning from the mid-1960s to the 1980s, is marked by a rapid
expansion of tourism in protected natural areas worldwide. This stage is characterized by rethinking and broadening of
the concept, alongside a paradigm shift in tourism as an economic sector, an increasing need for scientific guidance, and
the emergence of new academic disciplines. The paper presents examples of both Russian and international studies reflecting these changes and the new paradigm. The third period is closely tied to the advent of models of modern tourism
management in protected natural areas and the implementation of sustainable development principles, including ecological tourism.
The paper critiques the widespread misinterpretation of the ‘recreational carrying capacity’ concept and its substitution with concepts such as ‘permissible recreational load’ or ‘numerical visitor capacity’, emphasizing the distinctions
between these terms. The authors analyze contemporary approaches to the regulatory legal frameworks governing recreational nature use and the methodologies for determining recreational carrying capacity. Drawing on extensive practical
research, the authors propose an original definition of ‘recreational carrying capacity’ and discuss detailed algorithms for
its determination, including practical applications and strategies for enhanced data validity.
