Cape Tegethoff on Hall Island, Franz Josef Land
© Nikolai Gernet

Russian Arctic Park visited by record number of tourists

In summer 2015, the Russian Arctic National Park and Franz Joseph Land Federal Reserve were visited by a record number of tourists — 1,225 people. This is a 70-percent increase over 2014. The Arctic-Info agency reported that the tourist season results were summed up at a briefing in the Russian Arctic National Park.

The park's General Director Roman Yershov said 11 cruises were held in the park this year. The border checkpoint on Franz Joseph Land began to operate in a test mode through Alexandra Land (Franz Joseph Archipelago), which promoted tourism. "We have long striven to launch a cruise from Svalbard to Franz Joseph Land bypassing Murmansk. It not only made it easier to get to our reserve but also reduced the trip expenses. The change in logistics made it possible to increase the tourist flow last summer," he said.

During summer, the Novaya Zemlya and Franz Joseph Land archipelagoes were visited by tourists from 41 countries. The biggest number — 277 people — came from China.