Unique opportunities for tourists and investors in the Far East discussed at the Russian Geographical Society’s festival at the EEF 2022 field session

25 August 2022

Unique opportunities for tourists and investors in the Far East discussed at the Russian Geographical Society’s festival at the EEF 2022 field session

In Moscow, on the eve of the 7th Eastern Economic Forum, a visiting session entitled ‘Travelling to the East – Opportunities for Tourists and Investors’ was held as part of the Russian Geographical Society’s Geography Festival. It was organized by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic and the Far East Development Corporation (FEDC). EEF 2022 will be held from 5 to 8 September in Vladivostok. The Roscongress Foundation is the operator of the event.

The moderator of the session, Alexei Karakhan, artistic director of the Molodost Tourist Club, noted that the tourist flow to the Far East is growing year by year. Projects related to quality infrastructure for tourism and recreation, restaurants, unusual accommodations, and yachting are being implemented. Now vacationing here is not necessarily a feat of pioneering in a harsh environment, but a comfortable eco-tourism, landscape therapy and warm beaches. The moderator called upon the participants – representatives of the tourism industry, federal and regional authorities, experts, as well as Far Eastern investors and residents of preferential regimes – to share their views on what is needed to promote tourism in the Far East: “This is an assignment from Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and Arctic, to collect specific proposals that will help attract not only enthusiasts and adventurers, lovers of feats, but also those who are accustomed to the world standards of service in tourism.”

General Director of the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation Nikolai Zapryagaev said that tourism is one of the priorities in the development of the Far Eastern Federal District.

“The Far East and tourism are two inseparable concepts. Although not everyone in our country can go to Kamchatka or Sakhalin to see volcanoes or the Kuril Islands. Our task is to make sure that more and more people can visit this amazing region. In 2021, the tourist flow to the Far Eastern regions was 3.2 million people. In 2022 much has been done: the cash rebate for travel to the Far East has doubled, and three programmes of subsidizing air travel in the amount of RUB 27 million operate. As a result, passenger traffic is 8% higher than last year. The room pool is gradually increasing, which currently stands at 55,000 rooms of different categories. We see the multiplication effect of investments in the tourism industry, including those made by residents of ASEZ and the Free Port of Vladivostok – people come to the regions not only to rest, but also to work, and the culture develops,” said the Head of FEDC.

Today, according to the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, the investment portfolio includes 210 legally binding agreements with ASEZ and FPV residents, which are aimed at implementing projects in the tourism sector. RUB 100 billion are expected to be invested. Moreover, 20 projects have already been launched and their number will increase.

Representatives of tourism associations and heads of companies shared their opinions on how to use such factors as seasonality and remoteness in order to build convenient logistics that would be understandable for tourists; how to improve the quality of services through education and involvement of local residents; and what can help to promote travelling to the Far East and expand the target audience.

Leonid Gelibterman, President of the International Oenogastronomic Centre, Chairman of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry’s Gastrotourism Committee, believes that a tourist can forgive everything, except for bad food. “The gastronomic component in tourism is very important. Their physical and emotional state depends on how we meet and feed our guests. Therefore, it is important to do different projects in this area. For example, a month ago we launched a gastronomic camp in Kamchatka. The point of the gastronomic camp is to create an authentic regional menu exclusively from local specialties. We brought a team of chefs from different Russian regions who specialize in Russian, Pacific, and French cuisines and, of course, local chefs who know how to use wild foods. As a result, a lot of serious work was done: Kamchatka got 30 new authentic dishes and 9 drinks. Any local restaurant can now add them to its menu for free,” said the speaker. He also added that the project will continue in other regions of the Russian Far East.

Alexander Tertychny, founder and CEO of Anterra (Green Flow), focused on the new trends in the hotel industry. “We plan to open healing hotels in different regions of Russia, including the Far East. They will offer guests not only rest in natural ‘places of strength’, but also health promotion. Green Flow is a project that combines quality hotel infrastructure, local culture and cuisine, health programs, balneology. Construction of such facilities becomes a stimulus for development of tourism potential of the region, creates new jobs and is a driver of growth of economic attractiveness of the region,” said the founder of the first Russian health hotel Green Flow.

According to Professor Viktor Kruzhalin, Doctor of Geography, Deputy Chairman of the Commission of the Russian Geographical Society for Tourism Development, Head of the Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism, School of Geography at Moscow State University, the effective development of the tourism industry is possible with the system interaction of legislative and executive authorities, business, scientific and educational communities: “We need to create territorial centres based on cooperation of existing educational institutions for training and retraining This is an extremely important task. And we need to synchronize in the Far East, first of all, the efforts of educational structures with the needs of the business community to make these territories an example of sustainable development of tourism activities, so that young and active professionals will stay and come to live and work in these regions.”

Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy Inna Svyatenko noted the importance of state support measures and legislative component in attracting mass tourism to the regions of the Far East, which is an important contribution to the economy of the whole country.

“All tourism-related proposals must work in full to replenish the treasury of our state, to create a competitive infrastructure, and for the tourist to choose domestic destinations and travel in their country, rather than go abroad. For our part, we are ready for any kind of cooperation in terms of legislation,” stressed the representative of the Federation Council.

The topic of transport infrastructure development was continued by Konstantin Pyankov, Deputy Director for Strategy at S7 Group, who informed about the work of airports in the Far Eastern Federal District, and Anna Nosova, Director of Territorial Projects at Power of Wind LLC. “Today, the main limitation for the development of sailing voyages is infrastructure: there is often no mooring infrastructure even near well-known attractions with a large flow of visitors. It restrains development of new sailing routes despite the growing demand on the part of tourists. For the development of yachting tourism and sailing, yachting facilities and coastal passenger traffic should be developed, as well as territories and offshore areas should be reserved for yachting infrastructure on the basis of the approved scheme,” offered a representative of the company, under whose sails 500 tourists have discovered the Far East since 2018. Just as many tourists will join it for a voyage by the end of 2022.

Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, shared another idea to maximize transport accessibility of all regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, and, first and foremost, within the District itself. For this purpose, it is necessary to launch an air connection between the regions, so that the planes could fly as shuttle buses. “Tourism without transport does not exist, because the tourism is, above all, movement. The more accessible the area is and the more options to get there, the more tourists. If there is transport accessibility, then tourists from everywhere, including foreign ones, begin to use it. No transport accessibility – even such a basic product, such as, say, a weekend tour – by default becomes expensive and requires a completely different positioning. In addition to questions of accessibility, we need to think about measures to stimulate demand, not to mention the tourism potential of the Far East, but a product that can be sold and that can be reached. Every region here is unique, and on every square kilometre you can find unique stories that every tourist is after,” emphasized Maya Lomidze.

Internationally acclaimed artist and sculptor Dashi Namdakov presented the unique tourism project called ‘Tuzhi’, which allowed him to revive his native village on the banks of the Khilok River, two kilometres from Ukurik in Transbaikal District. According to the creative entrepreneur, a year ago he had nothing to do with tourism. “The project was a forced step, a salvation for my native village, so that it would not die. Because I travel around the world with exhibitions and have seen a lot, I want to share this with the people I grew up with. A very unique thing happened. In just a few months together with fellow villagers we built an art park with a cultural centre, guest houses and yurts, cafes, restaurants, and even a bathhouse using local materials. Thanks to Tuzhi, people now have a dream and a job. New houses are being built. Children’s laughter is being heard here. The village is reviving. Milk, kumis, and butter are being made. Electricity and Internet are available. We are also planning to build workshops for our artists. Our initiative has been taken up by the government. With the support of Yury Trutnev, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District, we will build a sports and recreation centre and treatment facilities. This is an excellent example of public-private partnership! Now we just need to solve the issue of full-fledged transport accessibility – to build a road from the federal highway and set a railway platform,” shared Dashi Namdakov.

The participants of the visiting session ‘Travelling to the East – Opportunities for Tourists and Investors’ also included federal tour operators and experts, travel blogger Bogdan Bulychev from the Far East, and media representatives.

Go to official Forum accounts on social media for all the updates on EEF 2022.

Telegram: t.me/roscongress.

VK: Eastern Economic Forum (vk.com).

Unique opportunities for tourists and investors in the Far East discussed at the Russian Geographical Society’s festival at the EEF 2022 field session

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