The document foresees development of cruise tourism infrastructure and improvement of state support measures
RF Government has approved the Concept for Development of Cruise Tourism in Russia until 2024. According to the statement of RF Government’s press center, the Concept sets tasks of making sea and river cruises more attractive and affordable for Russian citizens. The document has been approved by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The Concept will be implemented in two phases.
Phase I (2022) foresees development and implementation of a roadmap including development of regulations aimed at implementation of the Concept provisions, development and revising of related state programmes and development of cruise tourism routes.
Phase II (2023-2024) foresees further improvement of state support measures including implementation of the revised roadmap activities and analysis of interim results of the Concept implementation.
The Concept envisages cruise tourism infrastructure development and improvement of state measures supporting enterprises involved in its development.
There is also a target to expand the network of Russian cruises, particularly in the Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, develop new sightseeing programmes including visits to specially protected nature reserves develop destinations attracting both grownups and children.
According to the Concept, the most promising sea cruises in the Baltic Sea are those from Saint-Petersburg to Pionersky in the Kaliningrad Region, to ports of the Baltic States and Scandinavia; in the Far East – from Vladivostok to the Kurils, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Komandorskie and Shantarskie islands, Chukotka, Wrangel Island, Japan and APR countries; in the Caspian Sea – Great Silk Way; a route from Sochi across the waters of five seas including Black, Aegean, Adriatic, Ionic and Marmara seas with the calls at Piraeus, Santorini, Venice, Istanbul, ports of Romania and Croatia with the return to Sochi.
Cruise routes involving ships of mixed sea/river navigation are also considered to be promising ones.
The development of routes along rivers and across lakes is based on using berths on the Volga river (in Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Samara), on the Kama river (Naberezhniye Chelni, Perm), as well as Baikal lake, Lena and Pechora rivers.
One more task set forth by the Concept is training of personnel. Educational programmes are to be improved and practical training at the leading cruise companies is to be arranged.
The Concept is developed in the framework of the Strategy for Tourism Development in the Russian Federation until 2035. The roadmap will be developed by the Federal Tourism Agency and submittd to the Government by 1 July 2022.
The document is available in Russian >>>>