ARKHANGELSK, September 26. /TASS/. The White Sea, northern villages and agricultural tourism attract foreign visitors to the Arkhangelsk Region, the region’s Deputy Minister of Culture Svetlana Zenovskaya told TASS.
"Foreign guests demonstrate growing interest in the Northern villages: this year (2018), they have bought tours to visit villages in the Primorsky and Kholmogorsky Districts; they are also interested in trips along the White Sea coast on the Yagry Island (the city of Severodvinsk)," she said. "The Mezensky District also attracts visitors: this year, a German tourist drove his bike to see the local attractions, and participants in the project to preserve historical and cultural heritage in villages chose the Kimzha and Kiltsa villages as venues for meetings with French counterparts."
"During the summer season, the region’s hotels accommodated guests from more than 40 countries, most visitors came from European states," the official continued.
Tourist companies also traditionally welcomed groups from Moscow and St. Petersburg, from Tyumen, Novosibirsk, the Nizhny Novgorod, Vologda, Yaroslavl and Murmansk Regions, she added.
Traveling by own car
According to the deputy minister, many tourists come to the region by own cars. "We have seen many families and groups, who come by own cars from various cities: from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vologda, Perm, Voronezh, Kalmykia, Murmansk, Irkutsk, and others," she said.
"Within the summer season, the region welcomed more than 100,000 tourists," the official said. "Some hotels reported a growth of visitors by 5-7%, others say they have accommodated fewer guests, but anyway, we see a stable inflow of tourists, comparable to what we registered a year earlier, and, besides, we see the tendency of growing numbers in tourists, who organize trips by themselves."
The region offers a branded route, dubbed "Arkhangelsk: Arctic Begins Here."
"Currently, eight local tourist operators are offering the route, and federal operators are serving it, too," the official said.
New routes
In 2018, quite many tourists chose a very popular trip and sightseeing tour on board The Gogol paddle steamer. "This route includes staying overnight on board the ship," the deputy minister said. "Cruises to Solvychegodsk from Kotlas are attracting many tourists."
The Onega District also offers new Arctic routes.
"Those are a weekend trip to get acquainted with the Pomors and their villages, and a scenic tour of local cathedrals," she continued.
Another new direction in the local tourism industry is tours to see how local farmers live and work in the region’s Arctic districts. "Our farmers participate in tourist programs," she said. "For example, guests are invited to see the Nikola farm in the Mezensky District, where they also have an entertainment program and are invited to a typical village lunch."