Digitalization as an instrument for improving the efficiency of governmental regulation of rural tourism

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Introduction Contemporary academic literature demonstrates a steady interest in the problems of interdepartmental disunity and regulatory fragmentation [1; 2]. Nevertheless, a significant research gap remains: there are no studies that would quantify the impact of digitalization on overcoming institutional rather than technological barriers based on specific empirical material, such as rural tourism, and would suggest a working model for optimizing these processes. Global experience demonstrates that digitalization of administrative processes is a key tool for overcoming such barriers. Research by the OECD1 and the World Bank2 shows that the introduction of integrated digital platforms reduces the approval time by 50-70% and increases the transparency of resource allocation [3]. In Russian practice, however, this potential is used fragmentarily. Despite the presence of the Gosuslugi portal and departmental systems (for example, FGIS Mercury), there is no integration of them into a single management contour. The scientific novelty of the work lies in an integrated approach to assessing the effectiveness of government regulation through the prism of digitalization as a tool for overcoming systemic dysfunctions, rather than as a technological superstructure. The correlation between the level of digitalization and the efficiency of using budget funds has been empirically substantiated. The hypothesis of the study is that the introduction of an end-to-end digital platform for interdepartmental interaction will reduce administrative barriers and increase the effectiveness of government regulation, even in the context of the existing regulatory framework. The practical significance of the research is determined by the development of specific measures to improve the public administration system aimed at unifying requirements, eliminating regulatory contradictions and creating a unified information space for federal and regional departments. The aim of the study is to analyze institutional and administrative barriers in the state regulation of rural tourism and to develop a digital platform model that optimizes interdepartmental interaction and control and supervisory processes. Materials and Methods The methodological basis of the research is based on an integrated approach focused on the analysis of institutional and administrative aspects of state regulation of rural tourism. The empirical database is based on official statistics from federal and regional executive authorities for the period 2021-2024, including reports from the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation3 and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation4. The Integrated Digitalization Index (CPI) was calculated for 45 subjects of the Russian Federation using the adapted methodology of the OECD (Digital Government Index, 2023)5 Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation6, aggregating three key components: the level of electronic document management, the degree of automation of administrative processes and the integration of information systems7 [4]. The values of the components were normalized, and the validity of the indicator design was confirmed by the principal component method (the explained variance was 84%, KMO = 0.812) [5]. A set of complementary methods was used to solve research problems: · correlation analysis of the relationship between the level of digitalization and the effectiveness of regulation; · content analysis of 75 regulatory legal acts to identify regulatory contradictions; · calculation of transaction costs according to the adapted methodology of the World Bank (Doing Business)8; · Semi-structured expert interviews with government officials (n = 15). The reliability of the results was ensured by triangulating data from various sources and observing the principles of verifiability. The comparative analysis with international experience was based on the OECD data9 [6; 7] and the practices of the EU countries [8; 9] in the field of digitalization of interdepartmental interaction. Results The analysis revealed that the key factor hindering the realization of the potential of state support for rural tourism is not a lack of funding, but systemic dysfunctions in the public administration system, manifested in interdepartmental disunity and archaic administrative processes. Despite the increase in grant funding under the Agrotourism program from 400 million rubles in 2022 to 850 million rubles in 2025 (according to the official report of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia for 202510), the efficiency of disbursement of funds remains extremely low in regions with insufficient levels of digitalization. Empirical data obtained in the analysis of procedures for interaction between entrepreneurs and authorities demonstrate that the average time for approving a project in the field of rural tourism is from 90 to 120 days. The main delay is due to the need to undergo procedures in a number of regulatory authorities. According to an expert survey (Table 1) conducted by the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation11, up to 70% of applicants face duplication of the requested documents when contacting the Rosselhoznadzor, Rospotrebnadzor and local governments. The conducted expert survey (n = 15) made it possible to identify and rank the key systemic barriers underlying high administrative costs. As shown in Table 2, the main obstacles are not technological limitations, but institutional problems: contradictions in land legislation and the lack of a single digital platform for interdepartmental interaction. A comparative analysis of regional practices has revealed a direct correlation between the level of digitalization of public services and the effectiveness of support programs. In the regions that have implemented elements of digital interaction (Krasnodar Krai, Tatarstan), there is a 40% reduction in project approval time compared to regions where paper media and full-time work predominate. However, even in these regions of the Russian Federation, there is no end-to-end digital platform that ensures data integration between federal and regional agencies12, 13. Table 1 Time Costs for Completing Administrative Procedures in an Agri-Tourism Project Administrative Procedure Average Completion Time, day Number of Authorities Involved Probability of Rejection or Request for Revision, % Obtaining Land Use Permit 45-60 3 65 Approval by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) 30 2 40 Obtaining Conclusion from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) 25 2 35 Approval by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) 20 1 25 Total 120-135 8 41.25 Source: compiled by E.V. Ilyasova according to the data of the All-Russian Popular Front (ONF)14 based on the monitoring of the “Business Environment of rural tourism” (2024) and expert interviews15. Table 2 Key Digitalization Barriers and Institutional Constraints (Based on Expert Interviews) Barrier Problem Description Impact on Project Development Frequency of Mention by Experts, ٪ Insufficient IT Infrastructure Lack of modern digital systems and platforms Processing delays, low transparency 85 Shortage of Qualified Personnel Low level of digital competency among employees Errors in documentation processing, reduced control quality 73 Lack of a Unified Digital Platform Fragmentation of data and processes in interagency interaction Increased approval times, process fragmentation 78 Issues in Land Legislation Contradictions between federal and regional regulations Protracted approval processes, increased costs 90 Source: compiled by E.V. Ilyasova relying on expert interviews16. The most significant barrier identified in the study is regulatory fragmentation. An analysis of the legislative framework has shown that rural tourism is regulated within the framework of more than 10 federal laws and 40 by-laws, often containing contradictory requirements. Thus, the provisions of Federal Law No. 132-FZ “On the Basics of Tourism Activities” and the Land Code of the Russian Federation create legal uncertainty regarding the use of agricultural land for tourism infrastructure [10]. The content analysis revealed 75 regulatory contradictions in more than 10 federal laws and 40 by-laws. An important result of the study was the identification of a low level of coordination between departments. As the content analysis of the interaction regulations has shown, only 15% of the procedures provide for automatic data exchange between information systems of various departments. In 85% of cases, a repeated request for documents from the applicant is required, which increases the administrative burden on both businesses and authorities17, 18. Correlation analysis (Table 3) confirmed a statistically significant relationship between the level of digitalization of interdepartmental interaction and the effectiveness of the use of budgetary funds. In regions with implemented elements of digital coordination (for example, the Electronic Budget system), the rate of disbursement of grant support funds is 92%, while in regions without such coordination it does not exceed 65%19. Table 3 Correlation Analysis Between the Level of Digitalization, Volume of Grant Funding, and Tourist Inflow Dynamics (2021-2025) Indicator Correlation Coefficient r Significance Level p Notes Grant Funding - Tourist Inflow 0.68 < 0.01 Statistically significant positive relationship Digitalization of Processes - Growth in Tourist Inflow 0.72 < 0.01 A high level of digitalization correlates with inflow growth Funding Volume - Regions with Low Digitalization 0.35 > 0.05 Weak correlation, not statistically significant Source: compiled by E.V. Ilyasova based on official reports of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation20, 21. To quantify the hypothesis about the impact of the level of digitalization on the effectiveness of government regulation, a correlation analysis of the relationship between the amount of grant funding, the dynamics of tourist flow and the integral indicator of digitalization of administrative processes in the regions was carried out. The results of the analysis presented in Table 3 demonstrate the presence of a strong and statistically significant positive relationship between the level of digitalization and the growth of tourist flow. At the same time, the correlation between the volume of financing and the dynamics of the flow in regions with a low level of digitalization turned out to be weak and statistically insignificant. The revealed correlation between the level of digitalization and the efficiency of using budget funds deserves special attention (r = 0.72 at p < 0.01). This result is consistent with the findings of Smith et al. [11], who proved that the introduction of digital platforms for interdepartmental interaction can reduce transaction costs by 40-45% even while maintaining the existing regulatory framework [12]. The analysis suggests that the modern system of public administration in the field under study is characterized by three systemic dysfunctions22, 23 [8]: 1. Institutional dualism - contradictions between federal and regional legislation create legal uncertainty, especially in matters of land use and environmental standards [1; 12]. 2. Departmental fragmentation - the lack of uniform regulations for interdepartmental interaction leads to duplication of functions and repeated requests for identical documents [5; 13]. 3. Digital asymmetry - uneven development of digital infrastructure in regions exacerbates territorial imbalances [5, 14, 15]. The proposed concept of a digital platform for interdepartmental interaction, based on the successful experience of the Krasnodar Territory and Tatarstan, involves the creation of not just a technological solution, but a new institutional management format, which is consistent with the conclusion that platforms are subjects that change the regulatory system itself [16]. The key element is not the automation of existing processes, but the design of end-to-end procedures that eliminate the need for multiple approvals. Based on the analysis, the concept of an end-to-end digital platform is proposed, aimed at eliminating the identified dysfunctions. Its architecture, shown in Figure, is based not on the simple automation of existing processes, but on the design of a new institutional management format. The key elements of the model are a module for data and standards harmonization, a module for end-to-end interdepartmental procedures, and an analytical module for monitoring and evaluating effectiveness. The interaction of these elements creates a closed control loop that ensures continuous optimization. Scientific and Methodological Framework of a Conceptual Integrative System for Optimizing State Support of Rural Tourism Source: compiled by E.V. Ilyasova with the use of MS Word. The implementation of this model requires simultaneous solution of three tasks: harmonization of legislation (elimination of 75 identified regulatory contradictions), creation of a unified digital ecosystem and training of civil servants in new competencies. The limitation of the study remains the relatively short follow-up period (2021-2025) and the rapidly changing regulatory framework. However, the identified patterns and proposed solutions are universal and can be applied to other complex intersectoral areas of government regulation. Conclusion The conducted research empirically confirms that the key limiting factor in the effectiveness of state regulation of rural tourism is systemic institutional dysfunctions, rather than a lack of funding. The central problem is the critical fragmentation of the management system, which is manifested in 75 identified regulatory contradictions (based on the results of a content analysis of the legislative framework) and a low level of coordination between departments: only 15% of procedures involve automated data exchange (expert interviews, n = 15). This leads to duplication of document flow and an increase in project approval time to 120-135 days. Based on the analysis, two key areas for practical implementation are proposed: 1. Harmonization of legislation through the elimination of regulatory conflicts between federal and regional acts regulating land use and tourism activities. 2. Implementation of end-to-end digital procedures based on a single platform that ensures single submission of documents and automated interdepartmental data exchange. The implementation of these measures, as shown by the successful experience of individual regions (Krasnodar Territory, Tatarstan), will reduce administrative costs and increase regulatory transparency. The prospects for further research are related to the development of a system for monitoring the quality of public services and the adaptation of the proposed model for other complex intersectoral areas.

About the authors

Elena V. Ilyasova

Kuban State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: lenailyasova@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7403-5511
SPIN-code: 1597-4459

Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Management

149 Stavropolskaya st., Krasnodar, 350040, Russian Federation

References

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