SYKTYVKAR, August 26. /TASS/. The Arctic Tourism Cluster is a key priority for the Komi Region, where the Vorkuta, Inta, Usinsk and Ust-Tsilemsk districts are located in the country's Arctic Zone. Most promising tourism directions there are industrial, cultural, historical, natural, and "stalker" - visits to abandoned settlements or villages, the region's Ministry of Economic Development told TASS.
Earlier, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said he expected from the government ideas on development of tourism clusters in the Arctic and on their transport and other infrastructures.
"In compliance with the tourism development concept for the Komi Region, approved for 2023-2028, the Arctic Cluster, which includes the region's all Arctic municipalities, has been identified as a priority tourism cluster. Promising tourism in the Arctic Cluster are: industrial, cultural, historical, natural, and a new direction - the so-called "stalker" tourism, where guests visit 'ghost' settlements and facilities," the ministry told TASS.
The region has been upgrading the transport, including airports and highways, has been creating modular accommodation facilities - glamping and camping sites, has been buying tourist equipment, and developing facilities like tourist information centers, and the local cuisine catering. Financing of infrastructure projects will come under federal and regional programs, including preferential loans, grants and private investment, the ministry added.
About tour routes
"Stalking" has become popular in the polar city of Vorkuta, to where travelers come to see apartments, houses or even villages that were abandoned as coal mining plants were closed there. Other popular programs are Arctic fishing and trips to reindeer herders. A route, crossing the circumpolar city of Inta, runs to the Yugyd Va National Park and the Circumpolar Urals - Komi's main natural attractions, where tourists may visit the highest mountains of the Circumpolar Urals - Narodnaya and Manaraga. The National Park, which is 300 km long, is the biggest in Russia, and primary forests within the park are the biggest in Europe. The park offers more than 20 tourist routes - from short trips for 2-3 days to trips for up to 10 days, where tourists may see untouched wilderness, and plants and animals, listed on Red Data Books, in their natural habitat. Available water routes are of 1-3 difficulty categories.
The Ust-Tsilemsk District is known for the Ust-Tsilemskaya Hill ceremonial holiday, which in recent years has been celebrated for almost two weeks in July. The district is also very popular among fans of fishing. In 2024, the Komi Region welcomed about 300,000 tourists (a 7% growth year-on-year).