Tourism development priorities for Siberia outlined in Krasnoyarsk

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A meeting of the Tourism Council under the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District was held at the National Centre RUSSIA in Krasnoyarsk. The discussion focused on measures to unlock Siberia’s tourism potential and the implementation of the national project "Tourism and Hospitality".

Heads of eight Siberian regions, members of the Council under the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District, heads of legislative bodies and experts took part in the meeting.

The sector faces an ambitious target: by 2030, the number of domestic tourist trips is expected to increase by 40%, while the share of tourism in GDP should double to reach 5%. According to experts, this will require an additional 300,000 specialists. Already today, Siberia’s tourism industry generates nearly 6 billion rubles in tax revenues, including around 530 million rubles from the tourist tax.

The Plenipotentiary Representative, Anatoly Seryshev, outlined key areas of work: the development of transport infrastructure — modernisation of airports will increase passenger traffic by more than 5 million people; development of the road network and roadside services; and the legalisation of the shadow sector. In four pilot regions — the Republic of Altai, the Altai Territory, the Irkutsk Region and Kuzbass — more than 800 guest houses have already been brought out of the shadow economy.

"Joint efforts by the authorities, business and the tourism community, aimed at implementing infrastructure projects and promoting Siberian routes in a comprehensive way, will significantly increase the sector’s contribution to the economy of Siberia," said Anatoly Seryshev. He also drew special attention to the need to ensure accessibility of travel for all categories of citizens.

"The main product of the tourism and hospitality industry is emotion and experience, and the main outcome of inbound tourism is patriotism, love for the Motherland and pride in the places where we live. All of this depends on the professionalism of people working in the industry. Our mission is to build a human resources policy that will ensure the transition to a true experience economy," emphasised the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Mikhail Kotyukov.

Mikhail Kotyukov called on his Siberian colleagues to introduce practice-oriented education models, where students are immersed in real industry work from their first year. He proposed scaling up the experience of the Krasnoyarsk Territory across all regions of Siberia. Today, the Institute of Gastronomy of the Siberian Federal University operates successfully in the region, along with a programme at the Krasnoyarsk College of Industry Technologies and Entrepreneurship created with its support. Similar facilities will open in Norilsk and Minusinsk next year.

"The experience of the Krasnoyarsk gastronomic school is well known. Our chefs are rock stars. We showcase not just restaurants, but chefs who are recognised across the country, and children want to be like them. This is exactly how we should present careers in tourism — showing that there is also a path to success here, with exciting and engaging work," added the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

On the same day, a meeting of the Interregional Association "Siberian Agreement" was also held at the National Centre RUSSIA in Krasnoyarsk. The organisation presented the concept and implementation plan for the interregional project "Transformation of the Tourism Industry of Siberia until 2035".