AI in tourism and the culture of the peoples of the Far East: the first Open Lecture Hall concludes at the National Centre RUSSIA in Primorye
As part of the first Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the
Future: Ecotourism" in Vladivostok, young people were able to take part in
designing a positive future: the event hosted a student debate battle on the
use of artificial intelligence in ecotourism and hospitality. In addition,
guests of the Open Lecture Hall explored the history of the formation of the
peoples of the Far East through a game-based format.
The student
debate battle was held as a role-playing game by the Debate Club of Vladivostok
State University. The participants included students from the
university’s IT and management programmes, while the jury included specialists
in tourism and hospitality.
"When
the participants began preparing for the debate, they realised how broad the
subject area was, extending far beyond the conventional question of whether it
is good for a robot to bring you coffee in a hotel. They were interested
in looking for information, and they were also able to view the issue from a
different angle: for example, the students from IT programmes assessed it in
terms of token cost. They also realised that they would be able to apply their
practical knowledge in tourism," said Head of the Debate Club of
Vladivostok State University, Yana Van.
Emotional
delivery and arguments in favour of the importance of the human factor in
hospitality secured a unanimous victory for the supporters of the conservative
view. The participants agreed that, although AI can create a good travel
programme, a real guide will still help tourists find their bearings on the
ground more effectively and suggest interesting places to visit.
"The
supporters of the 'against' position won, but these were debates, and there
were strong arguments on both sides. What the participants did agree on
was that the main thing is to maintain a balance and not turn tourism
exclusively into an AI-driven field. We know that tourism is a human-centred
industry, and that is why technologies here serve people’s interests. They also
make it possible to improve the efficiency of tourism infrastructure and large
state facilities as a whole," said Vsevolod Yefimuk, an expert at the
Association of Domestic and Inbound Tourism. His specialism is the introduction
of AI in this field.
As part of
the Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future: Ecotourism", the
geographical readings "Mosaic of the Peoples of the Far East" were
also held. More than 50 students from Vladivostok and Nakhodka completed
tasks at themed stations dedicated to the ethnic groups of the federal
district: the Orochs, Mongols, Udege people, Nanai people and Koreans. For
example, the students had to take on the role of an Oroch shaman and include
aspects of the religion, traditions and values of this people in their
performance. They also had to reproduce the Mongolian method of passing on
messages, adapting it to the features of the terrain: in a "river",
they had to roll a special object; in a "forest", throw it to a
neighbour; and at a station, pass it from hand to hand.
The
programme was based on the "geographical notes" of the Society for
the Study of the Amur Region and archival materials from the Russian
Geographical Society: these sources make it possible to view traditional
economic practices, including hunting, fishing and gathering, as the first form
of environmentally responsible tourism, in which people are not opposed to
nature but are part of it.
"I
believe that if similar activities related to the culture of the peoples of the
Far East are packaged into a tourism product, it will do well on the market. It
was interesting to us, as young people, not to mention those who have a focused
interest in this culture," said first-year student at Vladivostok State
University, Angelina Naumenko.
The Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future" is an
original project by the National Centre RUSSIA, which premiered on 7 February
2026 in Moscow. The event is designed to bring together leading Russian and
foreign experts to develop positive scenarios for the future and maintain
dialogue with the global professional community in various areas of society.
The Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future: Ecotourism", an original project by the National Centre RUSSIA, was held in Vladivostok for the first time.
The Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future: Ecotourism", an original project of the National Centre RUSSIA, will be held for the first time at the National Centre RUSSIA in Primorye on Friday, 29 May.
