In 2015, 1.8 million tourists visited Russia’s Altai Republic. This profoundly affected the residential population numbering 210,000. However, tourism’s effects do not holistically offer benefit to local culture, the local economy or the environment. To understand perceived impacts of tourism within the Altai Republic, surveys and interviews were conducted among local stakeholders during the summer of 2015. Results suggest that residents and tourists largely agree on tourism’s improving the standard of living, and that tourism helps preserve local culture. That said, residents demonstrated greater propensity than tourists to pick up litter, while women tended to notice environmental damage more than men. The study provides valuable insights into the understudied Altai Republic and contributes to global understanding of interactions between tourism stakeholders.