Prospects for the Cross-Border Cooperation between Russia and Poland in the Field of Tourism.

The relevance of the research topic is driven by the increasing role of cross-border cooperation for economic development of regions of the neighbouring countries located in the immediate vicinity to the border, as well as for the tourism development. The purpose of scientific research, the results of which are presented in the article, was the justification of the prospects for cross-border cooperation between Russia and Poland in the field of tourism based on the analysis of the dynamics of the border movements and exchanges between inhabitants of the Kaliningrad region and Poland, the assessment of their structure by the purpose of visit and by the distance from the border to the target center visit. To obtain the author's conclusions, methods of expert estimations and statistical analysis, economic-statistical and factor analysis, economic and mathematical modeling were used. As a result of the research dynamics and nature of cross-border movements in the aforementioned regions were revealed, the author's assessment of the positive and negative effects of such movements and exchanges as a form of cross-border cooperation in the economic development of these regions, including tourism, was given. OPEN ACCESS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL & SCIENCE EDUCATION 7167 cross-border exchanges (European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Cooperation between Territorial Communities or Authorities, 1980). So I.I. Dragileva (2006) explains that in the field of tourism cross border cooperation is developing not very intense, as the regions of neighbouring countries with similar tourism potential see each other not as partners but as competitors. At the same time, the Association of tourist potential of regions of South-Eastern Baltic could bring them significant benefits. As it is shown by studies of the authors, along with the benefits there can be negative consequences for one country and another, which is important to clearly understand and evaluate in the development of cross-border cooperation projects. In the work of O.N. Bolychev, I.S. Gumenyuk & T.Y. Kuznetsova (2015) it is noted that cross-border cooperation starting with the local social and economic contacts, gradually evolves into a stable form of branched network, which, in turn, leads to the formation of cross-border forms of the spatial organization of the economy ( for example, Euro regions, "growth triangles", the districts, industrial, cross-border clusters, etc.). It is impossible not to agree. However, it is impossible to fully agree with the conclusion of these scientists that the direct negative economic effect for some regional economic entities is not so great that it is the mechanism of MFP to see as the main threat to their effective functioning. In our opinion, the calculation of the negative economic impact for countries involved in cross-border cooperation should take into account not only direct but also indirect damage. D.M. Davydov & T.N. Chekalina (2011) consider that the relationship and network are the Central components of the now emerging theory of cross-border cooperation. The main emphasis is on the development and the utilization of the updated concept of the brand, which can be used as a model for studying the mechanisms of cross-border cooperation and the working out of an effective development strategy on the level of individual border areas-partners and crossborder regions. A.A. Savosina (2014) pays a great attention to the application of regional marketing tools in cross-border cooperation. According to the authors of this article, marketing techniques, one of which is the branding of tourist areas, are of course important, however, they are only tools to the promotion of regional tourism product that exists in the area. Therefore, the greatest attention in the cross-border cooperation projects, including in tourism, should be given to the formation of a competitive tourist product of the border area and its use in crossborder cooperation projects (Larionova et al., 2015). The events of recent years demonstrate that due to changes in foreign policy factors, influencing the development of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the countries of Europe, the nature of the relationship between the countries has also changed. Due to the high dynamics of these changes, the research does not have time to track the data transformation. That is why scientists of the Baltic Federal University of Immanuel Kant initiated a study of problems and prospects of the cross-border cooperation development with the aim of diversification of economic activities of the Russian Federation regions through the effective use of tourist-recreational potential of territories. The study was performed with financial support of Russian Foundation for basic research under the scientific project No. 16-06-00181. 7168 N. A. ZAITSEVA, V. S. KORNEEVETS AND L. V. SEMENOVA Methodological Framework The methodological basis of this research consists of the works of scientists studying the essence of cross-border cooperation, especially the development of tourism in the border areas, as well as its influence on the diversification of the economies of neighbouring countries. In particular, the work of D.M. Davydov & T.N. Chekalina (2011), I.I. Dragileva (2006), N.M. Mezhevich (2002). A.A. Zykov (2008), N.F. Ogneva (2014) and others were analyzed. In addition, the autors used the results of the study of O.N. Bolychev, I.S. Gumenyuk, & T.Y. Kuznetsova, (2015) on the role of local border traffic in the development of retail trade in Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation and the border regions of the Republic of Poland. On the basis of the study of scientific and theoretical approaches to the definition of essence of the concept "cross-border cooperation" was used the approach proposed by K.V. Verkholantseva (2009), who suggested to understand under the cross-border cooperation common and constructive actions aimed at the development of relations between administrative-territorial units or authorities within the jurisdiction of two or more states, implying the conclusion of appropriate agreements between them. This definition corresponds to the approaches of determining the nature of cross-border cooperation, adopted in international practice. For the analysis of the existing system of cross-border exchanges and their impact on economic diversification of regions cross-border cooperation, the authors of the article used the methods of expert estimations and statistical analysis, economic-statistical and factor analysis, economic and mathematical modeling. The application of these methods allowed to prove the structure of cross-border movements and exchanges, and to substantiate their impact on economic diversification of cross-border cooperation regions. Through the use of theoretical and empirical methods of research the article substantiates the factors that have positive and negative effects of border exchanges on the development and diversification of the economy of cross-border cooperation regions.