The Russian government is eyeing the Arctic as part of a new federal tourism programme aimed at expanding the country’s tourist industry.

Including the Russian Arctic, the government has named 15 tourist destinations designated “promising”, based on its draft federal targeted programme, which stipulates a set of measures to establish national tourism clusters from 2019 through to 2025.

"The selection of regional projects promoting the development of the types of tourism that reflect the specialisation of the 15 promising travel destinations should become the programme's defining defining feature,” said the draft.

The Russian zone is the largest part of the Arctic and has great potential for tourist development, according to the government, which describes it as being “rich in tourist attractions”, with “vast expanses of tundra and forest-tundra, with an abundance of wildlife; islands featuring polar desert and semi-desert terrain; innumerable mountains, lakes, and streams offering recreational opportunities; the highest ethnic diversity in the Arctic, including indigenous peoples; and historical artefacts and monuments.”

In recent years there has been an upsurge of Arctic tourism in Russia. Previously visited almost exclusively by foreign tourists, Russian citizens are also now showing a growing interest in the northernmost region of the country.

Svalbard is the most-visited area of the Russian Arctic, with around 15,000 visitors a year. By increasing the number of designated tourist areas, it is hoped similar numbers can be achieved in other parts of the region.