In the previous decade, the Russian tourism industry has shown steady development. But in 2020, due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation is close to disaster. It is necessary to provide not only urgent support for industry actors but also the conditions for the successful resumption of their activities in the long term. The pandemic raised the question of joint survival – both literally and figuratively. The tourism industry is a good example to understand that it is possible either to bring the situation to a complete catastrophe or to provide a relatively good start for recovery in the foreseeable future. It all depends on how market actors behave and what decisions will be made by the state. For market actors, it is important to understand that the successful development of business ecosystems involves not only competition but also mutual assistance, which is extremely important for the progressive development of any industry, especially in times of crisis. For the authorities, it is important to understand that tourism may turn out to be not a burden, but one of the engines of economic recovery if taxation is changed and the focus is on supporting domestic and inbound tourism.