The Carpathian Region has a powerful potential for the development of cultural and sightseeing tourism.
An important factor of the development of cultural, educational and sightseeing tourism is the beneficial location of regional centers of the Carpathian Region (Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and Maramures Council) pertaining to other population centers of the region. Generally, the distance from Ivano-Frankivsk in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and Baia-Mare in Maramures County to the nearest settlement in any direction does not exceed 30-40 km, which makes it possible to work out radial routes from the regional center. The embranchment of road network allows for creation of radial routes in any town of the region.
The main tourist transit route of the Carpathian Region is route N-10, that passes through Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.
The road network gives the opportunity to enclose more than two-thirds of the natural, historical and cultural monuments of the region with the help of radial sightseeing tour routes; it also promotes the development and formation of radial routes across the region.
In the past the main consumer of sightseeing services were school groups, which within the framework of educational programmes got acquainted with the history and culture of the region. Nowadays the main characteristic feature of the sightseeing services is the combination of services of high skilled tourist guides and motor transport services. Sightseeing programmes are worked out and implemented by tourism companies.
Another factor in the development of cultural and educational tourism in the region is holding cultural, arts and sports activities and festivals, celebrating holidays, which honour religious events. An important place in the calendar of mass events in the Carpathian Region (Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and Maramures County) belongs to: