Today, a series of events dedicated to World Tourism Day took place at the Regional Control Center. The business program included a strategic session, "Tourism in the Murmansk Region," and a meeting with representatives of the hospitality industry, both attended by Murmansk Region Governor Andrei Chibis.
"In recent years, we"ve achieved significant results in developing the tourism industry. Last year alone, a record 761,000 people visited the Murmansk Region. Every third tourist visiting the Russian Arctic chooses the Kola Peninsula. Tourism"s contribution to the region"s gross regional product exceeded 3.1%—higher than the national average. And I take this opportunity to congratulate everyone on your professional holiday! Each of you is the face of our region for visitors. You are the ones through whom tourists experience the North. And this is a great responsibility. You have everything you need to make people truly fall in love with the North. But you can also leave with mixed feelings. Remember how important this is and how much depends on you," Andrey Chibis addressed the participants.
During the strategic session, projects on key areas of tourism industry development were presented. Participants worked on six thematic blocks: inbound tourism, gastronomic tourism, service provision, tourism personnel, domestic tourism, and promoting the region"s tourism brand.
Following the strategy session, four of the most promising projects were presented. Among them were the "Arctic Traveler"s Suitcase," a set of accessories for a comfortable, educational, and memorable trip; "Polar Day," an umbrella brand for events promoting this unique natural phenomenon to international guests; "Gastronomic Diving," which offers an immersion into the unique atmosphere of Arctic cuisine; and the "Children of the Arctic" program, aimed at encouraging travel among children and young people.
"The projects presented demonstrate our region"s enormous tourism potential. I"d especially like to highlight the Polar Day initiative—it"s truly an underappreciated growth area that could attract affluent tourists from around the world. The children"s tourism program is equally important. It will not only introduce the younger generation to the unique natural beauty of the Kola Arctic but will also attract families with children from other regions of the Russian Federation to the region," emphasized Andrey Chibis.
The regional governor then held a meeting with tourism industry entrepreneurs, during which he presented letters of gratitude for their conscientious work, professionalism, and significant contribution to the development of the Murmansk region"s tourism industry.
"Tourism is becoming a real driver of infrastructure development that improves the quality of life for northerners. A prime example is the new airport, which we plan to open by the end of the year, and we already understand that a similar project will soon be needed, as passenger traffic continues to grow steadily. The modernization of the airports in Murmansk and Apatity is a direct consequence of the tourism boom. Without the guests visiting our region, such transformations simply would not have occurred, meaning that life for local residents would remain less comfortable," Andrey Chibis told the participants.
The head of the region paid special attention to the quality of services.
"The number of market participants has also grown significantly: today, there are 82 regional tour operators operating in the region, double the number six years ago. The number of certified tour guides has reached 196, including 26 guide-interpreters. We plan to recertify tour guides. This is a matter of respect for the generations who developed and protected the Kola Peninsula. We cannot allow guides to mislead guests. In the near future, we will double the number of certifications and will actively work to legalize the industry so that legitimate businesses can be competitive," the governor emphasized.
In addition, Andrey Chibis noted measures to support the industry.
"Through federal and regional programs, 135 projects totaling 400 million rubles were supported over five years, and entrepreneurial investment totaled over 500 million rubles. This allowed us to rapidly improve infrastructure for the growing tourist flow," the regional governor said.
The event concluded with an informal question-and-answer session between the governor and tourism industry representatives. During the discussion, participants discussed the development of road infrastructure in popular tourist destinations, including Teriberka, attracting Chinese tourists and adapting services for foreign visitors, as well as the challenges of shadow business in the industry. Andrey Chibis confirmed plans to tighten tour guide certification requirements and emphasized the need to create a level playing field for all market participants.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /
