Article analyzes federal, regional and municipal programs of tourism development in the territory of the Russian Federation. Comparison of programs of various levels allows to draw a conclusion on identity of the main approaches to their development and, as a result, lack of accounting of levels of public administration and regulation, territorial distinctions, distinctions in powers of authority and opportunities of bodies of the state, regional and local government. The author on the basis of the carried-out comparative analysis formulates need of forming different purposes in case of drafting programs of tourism development for different levels of authorities and territorial units. The article offers a system of distributing criterion functions and the tasks following from them on levels of public administration in case of drafting of development programs of the sphere of tourism in the Russian Federation. The author draws conclusions on the necessity for differentiated approach to management of the sphere of tourism depending on industry and sociocultural specialization of several regions of the country. These conclusions allow to develop further classification of regions of Russia on the basis of their suitability and prospects for the tourist infrastructure development and intensification of tourist flows. The system of stratification of the purposes and tasks, formulated in programs of tourism development, at the different imperious and territorial levels is offered. Thus, the article proposes scientific bases of forming purposes and tasks which need to be used when developing concepts, strategy and programs of development of the sphere of tourism. Using the conclusions contained in article will allow to change also cardinally the principles and methods of development of the state, regional and municipal programs of tourism development