Patrushev called for expanding the list of Russian ports in the Arctic for foreign tourists

To develop the maritime tourism market, it is necessary to expand the list of Russian ports in the Arctic and the Far East, where foreign cruise ships could follow. This was announced on July 22 by Dmitry Patrushev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, during a meeting of the Maritime Board.

"Currently, there is a renewed increase in interest in organizing cruises along the coast and islands of the Far Eastern Federal District and the Arctic Zone of Russia, both from foreign shipowners and from Russian travel companies that own or are considering the possibility of acquiring modern cruise ships under a foreign flag," he said.

Patrushev called the sphere of sea cruises a segment of the tourist market that is growing rapidly. According to him, until 2020, cruise ships entered the seas entering the Russian water area on a regular basis. They operated flights in the Far East and the Western Arctic.

The most promising areas for organizing sea cruises are those that have a well-developed port coastal infrastructure. So, in the Far East, these are the Sakhalin Region, Kamchatka, Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. However, as Patrushev noted, foreign cruise ships can enter there in limited numbers. In addition, one third of the ports and port points are closed for tourists to disembark.

Russian and foreign tourist operators will not be able to create competition due to the lack of opportunities to visit the most interesting places for people on most popular routes, including the archipelagos of Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, and the Kuril Islands, the deputy chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation added.

"In this regard, it is necessary to expand the list of ports in the areas of internal sea waters and the territorial sea of the Russian Federation adjacent to the territories of the subjects of the Russian Federation included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and the Far Eastern Federal District, allowed for the entry of foreign tourist vessels," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

The Near North: how Russia plans to develop the Arctic

And what risks should be taken into account when developing the region?

On June 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the development of the Arctic the future of the Russian Federation. According to him, this cannot be done without people and without creating living conditions, including in the creative industries.

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