KRASNOYARSK, January 19. /TASS/. New national tourist routes in the Arctic will favor economic development of the North's low-numbered indigenous peoples, Coordinator of the Arctic Development Project Office's Expert Council, Associate Professor at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) Alexander Vorotnikov told TASS.
Earlier, the Russian government approved a list of measures for three years to implement the Concept for Sustainable Development of Indigenous Low-Numbered Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. This concept includes the creation of national tourist routes to historical and cultural monuments located in places inhabited by indigenous peoples.
"The work to create national tourist routes is an important part of the Concept. The indigenous communities have an option to combine economic development and income generation with increased conservation of natural and cultural heritage, which ensures sustainable development of indigenous territories," the expert said, adding such routes would allow "travelers to get acquainted with the country's unique culture and nature, while contributing to development of local businesses and new jobs."
The document provides for mechanisms to support indigenous communities engaged in ethnic tourism, including support for small businesses. These measures will provide incentives for creation and upgrade of the necessary infrastructures. The expert pointed to existing promising projects of the kind in the Arctic, including tours to the picturesque Khibiny mountain ranges in the Murmansk Region, where visitors get acquainted with the Saami culture and life; a route to the Evenki and Yukaghir families engaged in reindeer husbandry and hunting in Yakutia; visits to Chukchi settlements, where tourists learn about carving walrus bones and are invited to join whale-watch tours on the Bering Sea coast.