ИСТИНА

Russia faces the challenge of expanding its Geopark network. In 2020, there were 161 Geoparks in 44 countries, with 31 Global Geoparks organized in China. Russia has only one Geopark. In accordance with global trends, an increase in their number can be expected. Geoparks may not belong to specially protected natural areas (SPNA) and do not impede a large flow of tourists. It is proposed to create Geoparks from the Pacific coast of the Far East. It is viewed as a complex natural and cultural boundary that visually encompasses all components of the landscape, lifestyle and culture of the population. Russkiy Island looks promising for the primary creation of a Geopark. Kamchatka is considered as the largest and most visible object of world geotourism. The American features of the nature of Kamchatka are revealed. The possibilities of geotourism as a spectrum of types of tourism are considered. On the one hand, this spectrum focuses on mining heritage and collecting, on the other hand, on the cultural, health and aesthetic properties of geodiversity. The importance of geotourism in expanding the subject field of geomorphology and its elevation in society has been substantiated.