"Leaders of Russia" generated ideas for developing tourism in the Amur region

The National Centre RUSSIA hosted a meeting between the Government of the Amur region and the Elbrus Club, which is part of the nationwide "Leaders of Russia" programme. In 2024, leading experts of the Club explored the tourism resources of the Amur region, including the cities of Blagoveshchensk, Svobodny, and Tsiolkovsky.

The event was held in the format of a case contest. Experts who had studied the region’s key achievements and pain points presented their solutions to the residents of the Amur region. The discussion involved representatives of regional government bodies, including the Ministry of External Relations and Tourism, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Hospitality Agency, Russian Railways, as well as Leonid Agafonov, member of the Public Council under the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic and one of the founders of the "BAM Tourist" project, Vitaly Brizhatiy, Head of Tsiolkovsky, tourism specialists, entrepreneurs and experts from among the graduates of the "Leaders of Russia" programme.

During the discussion, participants considered:

• developing a tourism brand for the Amur region;

• promoting tourism in the BAM area;

• digitalisation of roadside service facilities.

"The first case studied by the 'Leaders of Russia' was the digitalisation of roadside service facilities in the Amur region. The main problems we face are the lack of high-speed internet along the highways, which means online payments for services are not always possible, and insufficient mobile coverage in some areas. These problems are gradually being resolved, and today it is important for us to create comfortable conditions for motorists travelling in the region," said Darya Ulko, First Deputy Director of the Hospitality Agency. "What did members of the Elbrus Club suggest? The most effective solutions are obvious. Through integrations with the applications we use every day, we can expand their functionality within the region, integrate audio guides, develop specific metrics and create ratings. The guys from the Club also recommended creating a dedicated app for road travellers with clear functionality. My team and I are already moving in the right direction, and the Leaders helped us find simple ways to address some of the travellers’ pain points we are working to resolve."

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The second case discussed by the "Leaders of Russia" was the development of tourism along the BAM. Experts suggested attracting student expeditions to the area of the legendary railway and including tourism industry experts involved in the "Tourist BAM" project in such groups.

"As participants in the discussion noted, it would be great if every railway employee became a kind of guide to the world of the BAM, able to talk about the railway’s history, modern projects and future prospects. The Leaders also proposed creating panoramic-view carriages and branding them," commented Ksenia Suk, a specialist at the Hospitality Agency.

The third case focused on developing the Amur region’s tourism brand as the country’s main space gateway. Staff of the Hospitality Agency noted proposals to create collaborations with other space-related cities, such as Samara or Kaluga. This could form an interregional industrial route where tourists learn about rocket component production in Samara, then travel to the Vostochny Cosmodrome to watch as the rocket, assembled by Russian specialists, is launched into space.

"Promoting the Amur region as Russia’s main space gateway is an issue we work on constantly. Members of the Elbrus Club proposed various integrations into Russian art festivals and street art festivals, inviting artists to paint murals about the Amur region in other parts of the country," said Darya Ulko.

In addition, experts suggested the idea of space-themed navigation across the country, with signs showing the distance to the cosmodrome at popular locations in Russia. They also discussed themed designs for bank cards, a branded series of Troika metro cards, and unusual art objects serving as 'magnets' for tourists and motivating them to create content.