Mining and tourism: Is it possible to sustain resource-driven region?

Abstract

Dependence of regional economy on resource-driven path is one of methodological and regional policy challenges. It is crucial to understand how to stimulate new paths creation in locked-in resource-driven regions. This paper highlights that new path can appear not only in diversified regional economy by intercrossing innovations or by branching process to related technological spheres. It is shown that technological and infrastructure connectivity is not the only possible way for old industries to create a new one. Mining and tourism are often debated as sectors with conflict interests which never can co-exist in one region. In this article we offer the model to explain stages, interplay between main agents of changes, mechanisms and regional assets in the emergence of the tourism industry in mining region in Western Siberia, Russia. The key findings reveal synergy of mining and tourism in region sustainability. It is demonstrated that financial resources, human resources, networks, access to external resources, lobbing resources of the «coal» path can serve critical inputs to create a «tourism» one. Economic interests and resources of private actors mainstreamed and supported by strategic interests of the public policy may create a new path. Model of unrelated diversification provides long-term sustainable development of the region and can be used in other Russian regions.