Communication technologies for managing tourist attractiveness of the hero city of Novorossiysk in the context of digitalization

The article analyzes communication-based governance technologies for enhancing the tourism attractiveness of the Hero City of Novorossiysk in the context of the digitalization of the tourism sector. The underlying problem is defined as a gap between the territory’s strong resource potential (coastal location, mountainous landscape, industrial and port identity, a high concentration of wineries, and heroic-historical heritage) and the city’s limited «visibility» in the regional and federal tourism agenda. The study aims to substantiate which managerial decisions and communication instruments make it possible to translate territorial resources into sustainable tourist demand and to develop a hospitality cluster not only around classical landmarks but also around everyday urban practices. The theoretical framework integrates approaches from the sociology of management, urban studies, and communicology: the city is treated as a system of meanings and public communications in which governance technologies operate through institutionalized channels of the public sphere and digital platforms. The empirical base includes statistical indicators and development documents (2015-2025), observations of municipal governance practices, as well as an analysis of digital services and communication products (digitized routes, a tourism portal, and event programs). The findings show that the most promising trajectories for Novorossiysk are patriotic, historical, and family-oriented tourism, as well as enogastronomic and industrial tourism; their development requires an integrated communication architecture oriented toward trust, safety, and civic co-participation. The practical contribution of the paper lies in proposing a platform-oriented model of communication governance for a tourism cluster and a set of measurable performance indicators. The study also identifies external shocks (environmental and transport-related) that increase the importance of risk communication and interagency coordination within the public sphere.

1. Blokland, T. (2023). Community as Urban Practice. Translated from English by N. Protsenko. Moscow: New Literary Review. 232 p. (in Russ).

2. Borisova, E. G., Galkin, S. A., Galkina, N. A. (2022). Tourism Statistics. Moscow: Aspekt Press. 168 p. (in Russ).

3. Weber, M. (2025). The City. Translated by B. N. Popov; edited by N. I. Kareev. Moscow: Yurait. 158 p. (in Russ).

4. Kiyanenko, K. V. (2022). Social Strategies for Managing Urban Development and the Formation of the Urban Environment in the Works of T. M. Dridze and in Contemporary Russia. RUDN University Bulletin. Series: Sociology. Vol. 22. No. 3, pp. 720-731 (in Russ).

5. Lynch, K. (1960). The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 194 p.

6. Malinina A. V., Malinin N. V. (2018). The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on the Tourism Market // Modern Scientific Research and Development. No. 11. pp. 445-448 (in Russ).

7. Revzin G. I. (2021). How the City Works: 36 Essays on the Philosophy of Urban Studies. 2nd ed., corrected. Moscow: Strelka Press. 264 p. (in Russ).

8. Rogach O. V., Frolova E. V., Ryabova T. M. (2019). A Social Engineering Approach to Managing the Development of Tourist Attractiveness of Municipalities // Public and Municipal Administration. No. 1, pp. 31-37 (in Russ).

9. Frolova E. V., Kabanova E. E. (2016). Developing the Tourist Attractiveness of Russian Territories: Current Trends and Management Practices // Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast. No. 1 (43), pp. 153-168 (in Russ).

10. Shcherbinin A. I., Shcherbinina N. G., Sevastyanov A. V. (2018). Constructing a City Brand. Moscow: Aspect Press, 240 p. (in Russ).

11. Sharkov F. I. (2019). Social Networks as the Basis for Forming a Public Communications Space // Communicology. Vol. 7. No. 4. Pp. 32-40. DOI: 10.21453/2311-3065-2019-7-4-32-40.

12. Sharkov F. I., Ponedelkov A. V., Vaskov M. A. (2019). Management and communication technologies of innovative development of Russia: analysis of positions of regional and municipal elites // Communicology. Vol. 7. No. 3, pp. 15-25. DOI: 10.21453/2311-3065-2019-7-3-15-25 (in Russ).

13. Sharkov F. I. (2014). Communicology: foundations of communication theory. 4th ed., revised and enlarged. Moscow: Dashkov i K°, 488 p. (in Russ).