Tourist flow to the Murmansk Region increased by 50% compared to 2019 figures, reaching 670,000 visitors in 2023. The dynamics are impressive—last year, the growth in visitor numbers reached 30% compared to the same period in the previous year. The average annual hotel occupancy rate fluctuates around 72.8%, reaching 90% during peak periods—almost all indicators of the tourism industry in the largest city above the Arctic Circle and the entire Murmansk Region are now showing steady growth. In his interview, the former head of the Tourism Committee, Alexander Eliseev (who left his post at the end of November 2024), stressed that these indicators were impossible to achieve without actively involving businesses in reforming the region's industry.

According to him, the Arctic Tourism Laboratory has become an important tool. It is a group of industry experts—hoteliers, restaurateurs, guides, tour operators, journalists and bloggers—who together evaluate existing tourist facilities, assess the quality of new and existing products on the market, assist in staff development and, of course, establish connections. The laboratory operates through field sessions. The group of experts is sent on tours, accommodated in hotels and fed like guests of the region to obtain comprehensive feedback from all participants in the process. Each year focuses on a different theme—in 2023, active tourism underwent careful examination, in 2024, it was the turn of cultural and educational travel, in 2025, experts will be sent to industrial sites, and the theme for 2026 will be business tourism.

In addition to 'quality checks' and advice, the Arctic Tourism Laboratory addresses another pressing task—building communication between industry participants. As an example, Alexander Eliseev mentioned an initiative by entrepreneurs who helped organise a beach clean-up on an island in Kandalaksha Bay. Previously, holidaymakers would arrive on the island without permission, leaving behind rubbish and fire pits. Several businessmen approached the Kandalaksha Reserve with a proposal for a project to develop the island, as well as applying for a competition to receive regional support for tourism projects. As a result, a SUP route was established to bring tourists to the island, and the beach was developed into a civilised recreation area. Since 2023, other beach improvement projects have been operating in the Murmansk Region.

Also, since 2021, the Murmansk Tourism Committee has created several professional working chat groups where hoteliers, restaurateurs and tour operators can directly interact with regional authorities to address pressing issues. Direct support for new enterprises has also been provided—according to Alexander Eliseev, about 120 tourism projects have been supported in recent years. This includes not just funding but also consultations and assistance in resolving numerous issues that arise during operations.

The Murmansk Tourism Committee's future plans include establishing a dialogue with the media and municipalities. It is expected that each territorial division of the region will have its own team that will begin to develop offerings for visitors 'on the ground.' The focus should be on both Russian and foreign guests. In the summer of 2024, the Northwestern Federal District ranked among the top three regions with the largest increase in foreign tourists. As an example, we can look at the performance of Cosmos Murmansk Hotel (Cosmos Hotel Group) for the winter of 2024. While in January 2023, 93.3% of guests were Russian, in 2024, 41.21% of guests came from China, 4.19% from Iran, 1.95% from Turkey and 0.9% from Thailand. Connections with neighbouring countries are also being established—in autumn 2024, the Government of the Murmansk Region announced intensified cooperation between representatives of relevant departments and businesses with the tourism industry of Belarus.

Image attribution: Shutterstock