Strategic management of a tourism cluster in conditions of limited coordination among participants
https://doi.org/10.24182/2073-9885-2026-19-3-87-99
Abstract
The article discusses the problem of strategic management of a tourism cluster in a situation where the cluster members are legally independent entities with divergent economic and institutional goals, and the classical tools of hierarchical control or contractual coordination are limitedly applicable. As a research base, we have chosen the Republic of Tatarstan, where the development of tourism allows us to consider the region as one of the most mature Russian cluster sites. We have identified typical manifestations of limited coordination (structural, institutional, informational, and target–oriented) and proposed a set of management tools relevant to this situation. It is shown that in conditions of limited coordination, the strategic management function shifts from direct allocation of resources and tasks to the formation of a coordination environment: nuclear points, common reputation assets, selective support, and incomplete contracts. An analysis of the empirical base for tourism development in the republic allows us to conclude that government agencies, development institutions, and independent operators are working together in a coordinated manner in the absence of a direct management hierarchy.
About the Authors
F. M. Safin
Kazan State Institute of Culture
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Dr. Sci. (Econ.), Prof.
Kazan
R. S. Garifullina
Kazan State Institute of Culture
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Dr. Sci.(Ped.), Prof.
Kazan
N. V. Borisova
Kazan State Institute of Culture
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Cand. Sci. (Socio), Assoc.Prof.
Kazan
References
1. Alexandrova A.Yu. Tourist clusters: content, boundaries, mechanism of functioning. Modern problems of service and tourism. 2007. № 1. S. 51–61.
2. Kropinova E.G. Regional tourist and recreational systems: formation, development, typologization. Kaliningrad: Publishing House of the Baltic Federal University named after I. Kant, 2016. 270 s.
3. Sheresheva M.Yu. Network approach to managing a tourist destination. Strategic decisions and risk management. 2018. T. 9, №. 1. S. 76–87.
4. North D. Institutions, institutional changes and the functioning of the economy: trans. From English – M.: Foundation for the Economic Book «Beginnings», 1997. 180 s. 5. Williamson O.I. Economic institutions of capitalism: firms, markets, «relational» contracting: trans. From English. – St. Petersburg: Lenizdat, 1996. 702 p. 6. Tatarstan entered the top 5 regions of Russia in terms of the number of tourists in hotels at the end of 2025 [Electronic resource ]. Tatar inform. – URL: https://www.tatar-inform.ru/news/tatarstanvosel-v-top-5-regionov-rossii-po-cislu-turistov-v-otelyax-po-itogam-2025-goda-6025871 (дата обращения: 10.05.2026).
5. Results of the summer season2025: Tatarstan is among the leading regions of domestic tourist flow [Electronic resource ]. Russian Union of Travel Industry. – URL: https://rst.ru/novosti/novosti-turizm/itogi-letnego-sezona-2025- tatarstan-vhodit-v-chislo-regionov-liderov-vnutrennego-turpotoka.html (дата обращения: 10.05.2026).
6. Zaitseva N.A., Ogneva S.V. Tourist clusters in Russia: problems and development prospects. Russian regions: a look into the future. 2015. № 1 (2). S. 1–11.
7. Zobova G.M. Cluster approach in the development of regional tourism. Izvestia of the Ural State Economic University. 2014. № 6 (56). S. 51–57.
8. Tourist flow to Tatarstan for the year increased by 18% [Electronic resource]. RBC Tatarstan. – URL: https://rt.rbc.ru/tatarstan/freenews/68e8d44a9a79476d0ea87b65 (access date: 10.05.2026).
9. Tourism development strategy in the Republic of Tatarstan for the period up to 2030: approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan dated December 14, 2017 No. 977 [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://tourism.tatarstan.ru (access date: 10.05.2026).
10. Tatarstan will invest 1.5 billion rubles in the construction of tourist clusters on the Volga and Kama [Electronic resource ]. TASS. 22.07.2016. – URL: https://tass.ru/ekonomika/3477938 (accessed on: 10.05.2026).
11. Tatarstan may approach 4.5 million tourists by the end of 2025 [Electronic resource ]. Interfax. 10.10.2025. URL: https://www.interfaxrussia.ru/tourism/news/tatarstan-mozhet-priblizitsya-k-otmetke-45-mln-turistov-po-itogam-2025-goda (дата обращения: 10.05.2026).
12. Tourism. Official statistics [Electronic resource ]. Federal State Statistics Service. – URL: https://rosstat.gov.ru/statistics/turizm (access date: 10.05.2026).
13. Porter M. Competition: trans. From English. – M.: Williams Publishing House, 2005. 608 pp.
14. Porter M. International competition: trans. From English. – M.: International relations, 1993. 896 p.
15. Karastelkina O.M. Tourist cluster as an object of strategic design based on a cognitive approach [Electronic resource ]. Tourism: library. – URL: https://tourlib.net/statti_tourism/karastelkina.htm (дата обращения: 10.05.2026).
16. Tatarstan became one of the leaders in the growth of tourist flow in 2025 [Electronic resource]. Tatar inform. URL: https://www.tatar-inform.ru/news/tatarstan-vosel-v-cislo-regionov-liderov-po-rostu-turpotoka-v-2025-godu-6024133 (дата обращения: 10.05.2026).
17. On the national project «Tourism and Hospitality» [Electronic resource ]. Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. – URL: https://www.economy.gov.ru (access date: 10.05.2026).
18. Kazan Kremlin in 2025 visited about 4.4 million tourists [electronic resource]. TASS. 04.01.2026. – URL: https://tass.ru/obschestvo/26076503 (accessed on: 10.05.2026).
Review
For citations:
Safin F.M., Garifullina R.S., Borisova N.V. Strategic management of a tourism cluster in conditions of limited coordination among participants. Entrepreneur’s Guide. 2026;19(3):87-99. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24182/2073-9885-2026-19-3-87-99
Views:
5
JATS XML
Email this article 