ST. PETERSBURG, May 24. /TASS/. The Kola Peninsula’s big history, including the Saami legends and myths about Hyperborea, attract tourists to the region and thus give an impetus to tourism facilities’ development, the Murmansk Region’s Governor Marina Kovtun told TASS on sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday.
"We know many legends from the Saami, Lopars, and tourist facilities refer to them," she said. "Every year, we see the number of tourists is growing."
One of the versions says the famous Hyperborea is in the Kola Polar area, she continued. This supposition attracts many tourists. The Hyperborea Snow Park in the region opened last winter. The governor mentioned another tourist attraction - the Snow Village in Kirovsk, which appears every winter.
According to the governor, the inflow of tourists is growing from year to year.
"Year 2014 showed a growth of 3%, and in 2016, the number of tourists jumped by 8%," she said. "Every year, we welcome 332,000 guests, where 132,000 come to ski resorts in winter."
Tourists usually arrive in the Khibiny airport, she added.
"Tourism gives an impetus to businesses to invest in that sphere - in hotels, cafes," she said.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is working from May 24 to May 26. TASS is the event’s information partner and the photo-host agency.