Tourism management in the Arctic coastal zone of Northern Eurasia

Abstract

This article analyzes the recreational activity in the Arctic region of Northern Eurasia and the influence of geographical and eco-nomic factors on its recreational potential. The SWOT analysis showed that the Arctic tourist region has a number of strengths and opportunities for further development. However, to realize these opportunities, it is necessary to reduce the negative impact of weaknesses and neutralize the existing threats to tourism in the region. At the same time, it is necessary to consider the political, economic, social and technological factors that were identified as a result of the PEST analysis. Processes related to the melting of permafrost due to climate changes represent a special threat, which is significantly constraining the future development of tourism in the region. The major problem of the Arctic region is the low level of development of recreational infrastructure, which results in the high cost of touristic tours. The article suggests two strategies for the future development of tourism in the Arctic region. The first is based on premium tourism, offering unique services that are not offered anywhere else. The second one is an active development of budget-priced tourism focusing mainly on the Russian market in the Russian Arctic and the European market in Northern Scandinavia and Svalbard.