The Arctic center of attraction. Going to vacation to polar bears

The Russian Arctic zone is becoming the tourist center of attraction. Thus, according to the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rosturizm), inbound tourist flow to Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions increased on 23.5% and 32.3% respectively during three years. Citizens of Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France and the USA are interested in the Arctic direction most actively. However, according to the agency, domestic demand also grows. The Federal Agency for Tourism (Rosturizm) finds out, why modern travelers more often choose glaciers and observation over polar bears instead of tropical beaches. 

According to the agency, Russian people also became more interested in this direction. During five years (from 2013 to 2017) the number of people wishing to visit Arkhangelsk Oblast increased on 3.1%, and Murmansk Oblast — on 6.8%. According to the governor of the Murmansk Oblast Marina Kovtun, traditional winter entertainments such as skiing and snowmobiling are the most popular among travelers, who come to the Arctic zone.
The Khibiny cluster is the main center of attraction in Murmansk Oblast; it attracts attention with high-quality ski slopes and a row of unique recreation areas: the Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden, the ice and snow settlement “Snow Village”, the Museum of Stone. This season the ice city “Hyperborea in Khibiny”, the art park “Mysterious forest” and the gallery of ice sculptures in Apatity were added to them, as Marina Kovtun says.
The governor also marks high demand for sea tours. This year it is planned to equip the passenger terminal with the international checkpoint.
The governor of Arkhangelsk Oblast Igor Orlov says that it is possible to order a helicopter tour to the coast of the White Sea, to become a participant of an excursion by icebreaker, and the tour “Arkhangelsk: here begins the Arctic” entered the list of branded tourist routes in Russia.
Other less accessible regions of the Russian Arctic zone also develop tourist industry. Now it is possible to go hunting or fishing on Taimyr Lake located in Krasnoyarsk Krai, to go to an ethnographic tour or rafting in Yakutia and also to visit the state nature reserve of Wrangel Island in Chukotka. Russian people became more interested in traveling around their home country, and now such vacation is very popular, as Bogdan Bulychyov, a member of the Yaroslavl branch of the Russian Geographical Society says. In winter of 2017 he himself visited Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions.
If to speak about price-forming and availability, then now, after the federal highways to Arkhangelsk and Murmansk were done, it is possible to go there almost by any car. And this is the Polar Region, which the nearest one to Moscow. Driving just a little behind the Polar Circle, one can see all the main interesting things: reindeer, the Northern lights – Aurora Borealis. If to talk about the Arctic part of Russia as a whole, then it is possible to visit Yamal, the Kola Peninsula. A huge number of travelers go there as well as to Murmansk, as the member of the Russian geographical society says.
It is the most difficult for tourists to reach Yakutia, Taimyr and Chukotka. Currently, these are the least visited regions, as Bogdan Bulychyov says.
According to experts of the market, sales of tours to Arctic regions increased on about 20% during the past two years.
In May of 2014 the President Vladimir Putin signed the decree defining land territories of the Arctic zone of Russia. According to the document, the following territories are recognized as arctic: Murmansk Oblast, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Komi Republic, Norilsk city district, a row of territories of Arkhangelsk Oblast, including the municipality of Arkhangelsk, lands and islands located in the Arctic Ocean and some areas of Yakutia.