O. A. Rushchitskaya, E. S. Kulikova, A. A. Akhmetov
Ural State Agrarian University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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Volume 26 No. 9
Date of paper submission: 22.04.2026, date of review: 04.06.2026, date of acceptance: 10.07.2026.
Published: 09/30/2026
Abstract. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that existing methods for assessing the digital advancement of rural areas characterize individual online presence parameters, but they fail to determine the extent to which the digital environment facilitates the transition from initial interest to actual tourism demand. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology for calculating an integrated index of digital interest and conversion readiness for rural areas. The methodological framework for this study consists of systemic, index, comparative, and econometric approaches. The information base includes tourism statistics, information from regional government bodies, open data from search, mapping, and navigation services, and digital platforms. The unit of observation is a rural tourist destination or municipal territory, which are analyzed separately for a specific period. This study resulted in the development of a methodology for processing extreme values, normalizing initial data, determining entropy weights, calculating five subindices, and combining them using a geometric mean. The index includes indicators of search interest, digital discoverability, reputation, content activity, and transaction readiness. Lagged econometric models were proposed for assessing the relationship between the index and subsequent demand. The dependent variables include visit patterns, bookings, overnight stays, revenue, and the number of people accommodated. The scientific novelty lies in the separation of digital factors from indicators of actual tourist consumption. This eliminates the possibility of mixing them within a single integrated indicator. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential application of the methodology by regional and municipal governments, tourist information centers, and entrepreneurs (for comparing rural areas, identifying shortcomings in digital presence, and selecting priority measures for developing information and service channels).
Keywords: rural tourism, digital interest, tourism demand, digital discoverability, conversion, integral index, rural areas
For citation: Rushchitskaya O. A., Kulikova E. S., Akhmetov A. A. Methodology for assessing the transformation of digital interest into tourism demand in rural areas. Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals. 2026; 26 (09):1838‒1847. https://doi.org/10.32417/1997-4868-2026-26-09-1838-1847 (In Russ.)
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