Alexander Yeliseyev, Chairman of the Murmansk Region Tourism Committee, spoke about the opportunities for summer holidays on the Kola Peninsula today during an operational meeting in the government of the region.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made adjustments to the global travel industry. In 2020, the number of foreign visitors to the Murmansk Region decreased, while efforts were intensified to increase the attractiveness of the region for Russians and to create infrastructure for comfortable tourism.
"There is a regular increase in the number of tour operators that present all kinds of recreation options for residents of the Murmansk region and guests of the region. At the moment, 50 tour operators are registered, " Alexander Eliseev said.
Voiced by TOP 5 destinations for recreation in the Murmansk region in the summer season, which includes Khibiny, Sredny and Rybachy Peninsulas, Teriberka, Terskiy Bereg and Seydozero.
"Summer tourism in the Murmansk region is mainly active recreation, including wind surfing and sapsurfing, quad biking and buggy riding, diving, river rafting, walking in nature reserves and much more," the head of the department said.
Special attention is paid to the Arctic cuisine. The Murmansk region is an active participant in the federal project "Gastronomic Map of Russia", thanks to which the region became one of the leaders of gastronomic tourism in the Russian Federation. In 2020, 11 food facilities were the first in the country to receive certificates of compliance with the "Gastronomic Map of Russia". The regional team represents the region at numerous international events. In 2021, new food facilities will be certified.
"I would like to mention the anti-crisis measure implemented by the Federal Agency for Tourism – the tourist cashback program. It is particularly popular among the residents of Russia. Up to 20 thousand rubles a tourist receives not with bonuses, not with a discount for the next trip, but automatically with money for a card registered in the bonus program of the MIR payment system, " the chairman of the committee stressed.