The purpose of the research is to identify the most pressing challenges associated with recreational environmental use in coastal tourism areas and to develop evidence-based recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.

Materials and methods. The research focuses on the most prominent coastal regions of the Russian Federation. The methodological framework includes a comparative-descriptive analysis, SWOT analysis, deductive reasoning to interpret findings, and an assessment of the recreational carrying capacity of coastal zones. Results and discussion. The development of tourism in coastal regions is constrained by legislative inadequacies, hazardous natural events, ineffective governance, and overarching conflicts in natural resource use. Effective strategic planning, in particular the development of new types of tourism, contributes to the redistribution of tourist flows in space and time, which will reduce the pressure on natural landscapes and infrastructure. Legislative support mechanisms are required to facilitate the development of new types of tourism.

Conclusion. To prevent the negative impacts of increasing tourist flow, the implementation of strategic planning tools is recommended, including integrated assessments of recreational potential, continuous monitoring of anthropogenic pressures, and refinement of the legal and regulatory framework.