The First International Arctic Media Congress will take place in St. Petersburg and Murmansk on September 18-22 as a part of the Accessible Arctic Forum, in which the Russian Geographical Society takes part. The purpose of the event is to create a single international communication platform to promote the unique tourist potential of the Russian Arctic, attract additional tourist flows and investments in the field of Arctic tourism taking into account the best world practices.
On September 18, the opening of the Congress and a business program will take place in St. Petersburg. On September 20, Murmansk will host the Congress participants. The opening ceremony and plenary session in the Tauride Palace will be attended by the representatives of the Government of the Russian Federation, heads of Rostourism and the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, governors of the regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, as well as the representatives of the Russian Geographical Society - Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society, K.V. Chistyakov, and Director of the Department of Expeditionary Activities and Tourism Development, S.A. Chechulin.
A multimedia Arctic exhibition prepared by the Russian Geographical Society will open as a part of the Congress. On September 18, it will be possible to visit it at the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg, and on September 21 - at the Meridian City Business Center in Murmansk. The exhibition consists of 37 works on the subject of the Arctic created by the finalists and winners of "The Most Beautiful Country" photo contest.
Russia, in 2021–2023, will chair the Arctic Council. The program of the future chairmanship is being actively prepared. The experts carrying out this work mainly focus on the proposals of the Arctic regions. Organized ecological tourism in the Arctic should become one of the most important key factors in its sustainable development - creating infrastructure and jobs, supporting entrepreneurship, creating space for investment, preserving and maintaining natural and cultural heritage sites.
The Russian Geographical Society considers educational ecological tourism in the Arctic to be one of the priorities of its work. Within the framework of the “Travels with the Russian Geographical Society” project, the Society works with leading tour operators in Russia, organizing trips to various places in the Arctic regions of our country - from the Kola Peninsula and Franz Josef Land to the Putorana Plateau. As part of this work, popular lectures, film screenings, meetings with famous travelers, researchers of the Arctic region, workers of reserves and national parks are also held. Every year scientific and search expeditions are held under the flag of the Russian Geographical Society, continuing the traditions of the greatest Russian pioneers. The experience of the RGS will be presented in the report by S.V. Korlykhanov, deputy executive director - director of the regional development department. He will take part in the press-breakfast "Development of Arctic tourism. Murmansk is the capital of the Russian Arctic", and will also speak at the presentation session "Arctic territories. A new look at recreation in Russia." Topic of the presentation: "The contribution of the Russian Geographical Society to the development of the Arctic: history, modernity and prospects".
As a part of the business program, roundtables will be organized on such important topics pertaining to the development of Arctic tourism as "The Russian Arctic in the media space"; "Promising types of tourism in the Arctic"; "Development of the infrastructure of the Arctic regions and the growth of tourist flows"; "Ensuring the quality and availability of tourism services in the Arctic".
The program of the Murmansk part of the Forum is focused primarily on the excursion demonstration of a number of sights of the region: the village of Teriberki, the city of Kirovsk with a visit to the museum and exhibition center of “Apatit” JSC and the Botanical Garden. The meeting with the media will take place on board the nuclear-powered icebreaker “Lenin”, one of the unconditional "brands" of the Russian Arctic.