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Expedition between two poles of cold kicks off from Yakutsk

The route will cross Yakutia's six districts, including four Arctic districts

YAKUTSK, March 13. /TASS/. The Sakha Arctic Expedition - 2023 kicked off on Monday from Yakutsk. The team plans to drive more than 4,800 km. The route will connect the settlements of Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk, known in Yakutia as the poles of cold, the local Agency for Tourism Development and Marketing's press service told TASS.

"The expedition has started today from Yakutsk, on the Lena River. On March 13, the team plans to visit the settlements of Bayaga in the Tattinsk district and Khandyga in the Tomponsk district," the press service said.

There are 10 people in the team: six of them represent Yakutia's tourism industry, and two are tourists. The team will travel in two cars - a GAZ Sobol and a Toyota Land Cruiser.

The route will mainly run along the frozen Lena, Indigirka, Yana Rivers and their tributaries. Preparation for the project began in last year's autumn. The project participants want to see how to develop the Arctic tourism in the region, to expand tent tourism in winter. During the expedition, the participants will test the outfits they have selected.

The route will cross Yakutia's six districts, including four Arctic districts. During the project, the travelers will learn the local history, will participate in various events. They will visit the Pole of Cold - Verkhoyansk festival, the festival of reindeer herders in the village of Topoliny, will climb the Kisilyakh Mountains, which are dubbed the Yakut Stonehenge.

The project is due to finish by the end of March, when the participants arrive in Yakutsk. The organizers are Yakutia's Agency for Tourism Development and Marketing, Yakutia's Association of Tourism Industry, and the Opora Rossii NGO. The project is supported by the regional Ministries for Development of the Arctic and the Affairs of the Peoples of the North, and the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Trade and Tourism.

Tourism in Yakutia

According to Dmitry Gromov, Director General of the regional Agency for Tourism Development and Marketing, a record number of tourists visited the region in 2022 - 237,000 thousand people. TASS reports that in 2023, the expected number of visitors to the region will make about 250,000 (5% growth year-over-year).

Tourism is a priority direction in development Yakutia's non-resource economy. About 250 tourist products are being implemented. Their number is growing steadily. The most popular attractions are the Lena Pillars National Park, the Pole of Cold in Oymyakon, cruises along the Lena River, including Arctic cruises, hiking tours to mountain passes, fishing, rafting, and various events. The region's daily accommodation capacity is more than 6,000 guests.

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