Revolution in tourism: protected areas safari and ornithological tours discussed at the RUSSIA EXPO

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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/.