Revolution in tourism: protected areas safari and ornithological tours discussed at the RUSSIA EXPO
At the Russian Tourism Forum "Travel!" a panel
discussion "Development of Protected Areas" took place, where experts
discussed key issues in modernizing the infrastructure of specially protected
natural areas (SPNA) and implementing tourist products that open new
opportunities for travelers while preserving natural wealth.
In Russia, there are 12,000 specially protected natural
areas of federal, regional and local significance. Their main tasks are the
preservation of the country's unique natural heritage, the protection of rare
species of animals and plants, conducting scientific research and educational
activities.
At the same time, protected areas are an important resource
for the development of ecological tourism, and interest in them among Russian
citizens is constantly growing. This means there is a need to increase the
efficiency of the SPNA system and the level of environmental awareness in
society, implement competent legislative regulation of recreational activities
in SPNAs, and, of course, find and properly allocate sources of funding for
tourism infrastructure.
"Recently, our President made a very flattering
statement for us, saying that by 2030 all national parks in Russia should have
developed infrastructure. This task is not an easy one because for many years
there was neither adequate funding nor proper attention. But in recent years,
the situation has changed significantly. For example, under the 'Ecology'
project, about 1 billion rubles have been allocated for the development of
national parks over the past five years, and under the 'Tourism and Hospitality
Industry' project, 1.4 billion rubles have been allocated for all federal-level
initiatives for infrastructure development. So, we were very pleased that we
can finally implement interesting ideas," noted Ksenia Abramova, Deputy
Director for Tourism and Special Projects at the Roszapovedcenter of the
Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia and moderator of the discussion.
She also emphasized that thanks to the introduction of new
tourist products, the influx of tourists to protected areas in 2023 increased
more than twice compared to 2020.
"These include protected safaris, ethnographic routes,
gastro tours, hobby tours, weekend routes, ornithological tours and much more.
There are quite a few of them, and the demand for these tours is quite
high," concluded Ksenia Abramova.
Kirill Rodin, Director of Government Relations at the
All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), drew attention to the load
on protected areas, which increases with the growth of tourist flow, and,
consequently, the need for special preparation of both visitors and the routes
themselves within the SPNAs.
"Together with the Roszapovedcenter, we are currently
conducting relevant research to, on the one hand, understand and try to predict
the flow of tourists heading to protected areas, and, on the other hand,
understand how prepared the tourist is," noted Kirill Rodin.
According to surveys conducted annually by VTsIOM, Russians
are showing increasing interest in domestic tourism, not limited to visiting
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Karelia and other popular holiday destinations,
he emphasized. In this regard, the industry faces an urgent need to prepare
infrastructure that should not only be comfortable for tourists but also take
into account the specifics of the regions, including in terms of preserving
natural wealth.
"In the last 3-4 years, a 'revolution' has taken place;
tourists have massively started to travel deep into the country. And this is
not only related to the closure of foreign destinations. Thus, we have already
passed the first stage. Now the question is whether we have reached a plateau
or if there are opportunities for further expansion. Therefore, the degree of
preparedness of tourist locations is of particular importance today,"
summarized Kirill Rodin.
Director of the FSBI National Park "Losiny Ostrov"
(lit. “Elk Island”) Rustam Yakubov spoke about the development of
infrastructure in protected areas.
"Despite being squeezed between Moscow and the Moscow
region, we manage to maintain a living oasis. Of course, combining conservation
legislation with the development of domestic tourism is no easy task. Every
year, we strive to create and implement new tourist routes, such as eco-trails,
water routes for kayaking and so on. Last year, we completed the setup of a
glamping site, and we are now a full-fledged organization authorized to provide
hotel services," said Rustam Yakubov.
In turn, the main topic of Roman Selyutin, Director General
of the glamping club "Expedition", was organizing the operation of
such accommodation places considering tourists' interests. Dmitry Danilov, head
of expedition cruises development at "Vasta Expeditions" and tour
operator "Panarctic Star", discussed the specifics of
expedition-cruise routes and their interaction with protected areas.
The IV Russian Tourism Forum "Travel!" is taking
place at the International RUSSIA EXPO from June 12 to 16, 2024. It is
organized by the Roscongress Foundation. The forum is held with the official
support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic
Development of the Russian Federation, ANO "National Priorities",
Centre for Strategic Research and leading industry associations.
The business program, consisting of 40 sessions, involves
more than 250 speakers. It is expected that over five days of the forum, the
site will be visited by more than 500,000 guests, including representatives
from 20 foreign countries. The exposition will feature more than 500 participants
from 89 regions of Russia.
Detailed information on the business and festival program,
as well as the mobile guide, is available on the official website: https://rustravelforum.com/.
