The final of the Agency for Social Initiatives on creation of tourist and recreational clusters’ competition has ended in Moscow. The competition was supported by the Ministry of Russian Far East Development, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Federal Tourism Agency. The competition committee will announce ten winning territories on October 16.
The finalists include representatives from six Far Eastern and two Arctic regions. One of them is the Krasnoyarsk region with the Arctic. Putorana Plateau project. This project was developed by the Norilsk Development Agency with the support of Norilsk and Taimyr municipalities and the Taimyr Reserves united directorate.
At the strategic session, the Arctic tourist cluster was represented by Konstantin Prosekin, director of the Taimyr Reserves united directorate. He spoke about the important role of the directorate and its capabilities in this activity area.
“The world’s tourism industry practice shows that specially protected natural areas are a powerful attraction for tourists. (This summer, the Putorana plateau was included in the top 5 desirable vacation spots for Russian tourists). The role of the Putoransky reserve as a world heritage site in the Arctic tourist cluster is undeniable. On the part of reserve’s administration, we understand our role, at the same time, we consider our main task in this perspective to create conditions for the development of a civilized, sustainable, equally competitive tourism business, taking into account the compliance with the current laws. We consider the protected zone of the Putoransky reserve to be the main platform for interaction. The reserve doesn’t assume the obligations of a tour operator, since this is not a leading position in its activities. But we are ready to act as a consultant, assistant, like-minded person, granting these powers to professionals with the appropriate resources”, Konstantin Prosekin said.
According to the scientist, as a contractor whose important mission is environmental education and educational tourism, the Taimyr Reserves created and are still creating several tourist education destinations. In particular, the Reserved Putorana information and guest complex. It unites guest service and business tourism objects of year-round operation, and a visit center dedicated to the Putorana plateau. Here you can relax, get comprehensive information about natural objects and tourist resources of the Arctic cluster, walk along eco trails. The Bukhta Urvantseva complex is designed for corporate recreation and the tent camps organization, it’s an excellent place for environmental teambuilding. And the information-guest complex Yt-Kyuel on the Sobachye lake makes it possible to relax in one of the most picturesque foothills of the Putorana plateau.
The total amount of investments in infrastructure projects of the Taimyr Reserves within the boundaries of the Arctic tourist cluster over the past year and a half reached 57.4 million rubles from extra-budgetary funds. At the same time, the creation of the infrastructure for educational tourism on the territory of the reserve as part of a state assignment is underway.
It needs more than 5.2 billion rubles to create a full-fledged infrastructure of the Arctic tourist cluster.
Text: Victor Tsaryov, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko and open sources