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ARCTIC TOURISM IN RUSSIA: MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR ECONOMIC, COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

ILKEVICH, S.

Abstract

Background. Admittedly, 40 \% of the world's Arctic territory and water surfaces belong to Russia, and at the same time, according to estimates, only around 2\% of Arctic tourists worldwide choose Russia as their destination. A potential future rapid rise in the number of tourists in Russian Arctic could have huge economic, community and environmental implications, and yet sustainability issues remain largely untouched. Methods. Interviews with representatives of three Russian tour operators in Arctic tourism. Analysis of their policies on sustainability. A survey of 57 Russian and international Arctic tourists, who visited the national park “Russian Arctic”. Literature review. Results and Conclusions. Environmental challenges: • The deterioration of Arctic environment is caused by the use of inappropriate vehicles (e.g., groups of hunting tourists are transported by caterpillar tractors). • Excursions by helicopters are extremely dangerous for nesting and young birds. • Chasing walruses or polar bears by motor boats in aspiration to see them closer and take better pictures causes stress in animals. Economic challenges: • Icebreakers are not only expensive for tourist purposes, but also are very deficient. Within several years there simply will not be enough icebreakers. • Tourists typically familiarize with objects of natural and cultural heritage in places of landings for several hours. Helicopters or special rubber boats (zodiacs) deliver tourists from icebreakers to the shores. The rest of time tourists spend on board, and that decreases their satisfaction. • To turn the city of Murmansk into an attractive tourist center for international cruises and true "Gates of the Arctic" it is necessary to adopt the law on visa-free reception of foreign tourists from cruise ships for a period of at least 72 hours. • Russian tourists as consumers are poorly informed about the Arctic. Their understanding of this unique region is often built on stereotypes about extreme cold and the lack of flora and fauna (except white bears). Community challenges: • Indigenous peoples are emotionally and culturally unprepared to rapid increases in tourist flows into their nomad camps, but they are more loyal to the creation of ethnographic tourist complexes, reproducing their culture and ways of life. • Locals do not have sufficient knowledge of tourism and business; therefore they cannot change the balance of revenues' distribution from tourism. Indigenous peoples often fail to deal with marketing and design of local souvenir brands. • Most indigenous peoples had been nomadic all their previous history, but in soviet time they were made settled. They continue losing their languages, traditions and customs, and that undermines the authenticity and tourism potential of territories. • Alcohol consumption by tourists is a big problem, since indigenous peoples have very negative attitudes to alcohol due to their high genetic vulnerability.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/SGEMSOCIAL2015/B23/S7.009

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