In recent years a growing interest in the possibility of rebirth and use the ideas of the ancient route of the Silk road. The UNWTO “Silk road” brought together 33 countries. On the one hand, is a colorful space, rich in tourist destinations and tourism products, with a unique history, diversity of natural conditions and cultural traditions. On the other hand, this territory is radically different in terms of socio-economic development. Participating countries of the Silk road have different potential for tourism development. The authors calculate tourist potential in two ways: the first calculation is based on 11 indicators, with the subsequent calculation of the average score; the second using the algorithm of cluster classification. Despite some differences, most countries have remained within their groups, which confirms their validity. Describes the General features of the state’s tourist potential in each group. As a result, we note that among the countries there will be several growth poles, where the key country is China, and the potential for significant growth of Japan and Indonesia and countries of southern Europe. The connecting bridge between them can serve as Russia, Kazakhstan, some countries of Transcaucasia, Central Asia and the Middle East. However, it is in the middle East and Central Asia are the sections "failures" in the form of countries with lower capacity and, moreover, open armed conflict in the territory. Despite having high potential, it is important to efficiently use the resources effectively to promote tourism along the Silk road.