Expansion of the Arkhangelsk port to promote Arctic tourism
© RIA Novosti. Ramil Sitdikov

Expansion of the Arkhangelsk port to promote Arctic tourism

According to Governor Igor Orlov, expanding the boundaries of the Arkhangelsk seaport up to the archipelago of Franz Josef Land will promote the development of Arctic tourism and the region's economy, TASS  reports.

According to the Russian Government Directive on Modifying the Boundaries of the Arkhangelsk Seaport, the port will include an additional water area in the Severnaya Bay in Dezhnev Gulf on the island of Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land).

"The expansion of the seaport will facilitate the entry of foreign passenger ships in the Russian Arctic National Park area and the number of tourists in the region. We'll also develop new cross-border cruise ship routes with a stop in the Arkhangelsk Region," the Governor's press service reported.

The seaport's new water area is located within the Franz Josef Land State Nature Reserve and is overseen by the Russian Arctic National Park.

According to the director of the Russian Arctic National Park, Roman Yershov, the opening of the marine checkpoint to Franz Josef Land will reduce transit time from Spitsbergen to the archipelago by three days and will result in less costly shipping logistics. "This will be a breakthrough for tours to the Franz Josef Land archipelago," he said.