Tourism and Recreation of the Russian Arctic Population: Opportunities and Limitations

Abstract

The Arctic regions, being on the one hand an important resource for socio-economic development of the state, and on the other hand, characterized by harsh natural and climatic conditions of work and life, require special attention to achieving quality of life of the local population. The sphere of tourism and recreation is considered as a tool for restoration of physical and emotional forces of a person. The purpose of the study is to identify the opportunities and limitations of tourism and recreation for the residents of the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation. The study is based on the calculation of indices for economic, socio-economic and infrastructural indicators that characterize the opportunities and limitations of tourism and recreation organization by the population of the Arctic regions of Russia in the regional context. The results revealed the presence of high financial opportunities in the organization of tourist trips and leisure activities. There is a significant level of activity aimed at promoting inbound domestic and international tourism. It is revealed that the residents of the Arctic regions have a relatively low level of spending on recreation in the territory of permanent residence. The problems identified in the course of research work on recreation of residents of the Arctic regions in the territory of permanent residence require a more systematic and comprehensive approach. The results obtained can be used in strategic and policy documents on the development of the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation.

Keywords

• arctic region
• population
• tourism and recreation