The article is devoted to the analysis of the activities of the Government of the Astrakhan region in the field of tourism. Astrakhan is located at the crossing of trade, cultural, economic and other routes. The city has many resources for tourism activities. This can attract both tourists and, importantly, investors. For the tourism industry to develop effectively, it needs legislative support. Besides, the problems faced by the tourism industry must be identified. The goals are determined not only by problems, but also by prospects. The goals, in turn, define the tasks that must be implemented in practice. During this period (2000-2010), Astrakhan tourism began to develop. The most promising directions were selected, which were reflected in official documents. These are, first of all, sectoral target programs. They described the current state of affairs, the problems that can be encountered in the course of implementation. One of the key factors was the physical infrastructure. Along with this issue was the financial one, considering ways to get money to meet logistical needs. Despite the fact that Astrakhan region had prospects, sought resources, it was still unattractive for tourists who preferred other regions for recreation. Moreover, the region was stereotypically viewed by tourists as a place for fishing, first of all, and then hunting. In this article we consider how the tourist activity of the region was regulated, what goals and objectives were set, what problems arose during their implementation, how they tried to solve them.
