In 2024, over 4,900 people visited the specially protected natural areas of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. This was reported by Andrey Gagarin, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Yamal. This is almost a twofold increase—in 2023, 2,647 people came to the region to experience the protected areas. A total of 240,000 people visited the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area in 2023, and 75,000 people arrived in the region during the current summer season alone.

There are 15 specially protected natural areas in Yamal today, including two with federal status. These are the Verkhne-Tazovsky Reserve and Gydansky National Park. Their area covers nine million hectares or 11% of the total territory of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. They are home to 153 species of red-listed animals, birds, plants and fungi. The region's leadership is making ambitious plans to develop the potential of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. According to Dmitry Artyukhov, Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, the new Salekhard-Labytnangi cluster should quadruple the current tourist flow figures. At this point, the development of its master plan has been completed. It is set to become a logistics and infrastructure hub for the industry in the Polar Urals. Its centrepiece will be the Rai-Iz ski resort, located on the slopes of the mountain massif of the same name. A hotel, spa, museum, ethno park and more will be built there. Incidentally, most of it is part of the Polar-Uralsky Nature Park. Nearby is the Ingilor Nature Park, whose musk oxen and tundra will also contribute to the development of the tourism industry. As part of the industry's development, there are plans to train and hire 93 guide instructors.

Today, there are several established tourist routes in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, allowing visitors to comfortably explore the region's beauty. In 2024, the 85 km long Kharbey hiking route through the landscapes of the Polar Urals was developed. Gazebos, tent and campfire sites, rubbish bins and navigation poles were set up for visitors, and wooden decking was installed in challenging areas. At the end of the route, there is a safety module where visitors can warm up and charge their phones. There are also longer routes—the Great Yamal Trail stretches for 260 km, linking the main natural attractions of the region. It is best conquered by all-terrain vehicles.  

Over the past year, Yamal's protected areas have done extensive work to organise tourism related to visits to nature reserves. The main goal of the measures was to create a system in which tourism becomes a tool for regional development and preservation of its natural riches, rather than a threat to all living and rare species. Thus, in February, it was announced that there were plans to delineate zones within specially protected areas—in some, tourist groups would be allowed, while in others, fauna and flora would be maximally protected from human influence. This practice is widely used in Russian regions, including Krasnodar Territory, Vladimir and Ivanovo Regions. This also means infrastructure development—administrative and recreational buildings will be constructed. Some of these are vital, such as the bathhouses in the Tiutei-Yakhinsky Nature Reserve. The Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area government allocated RUB 26 mn for the construction of houses and steam rooms—life on a cordon near the Arctic Ocean is possible without hot steam, but very bleak.

The authorities have also limited the time tourists can stay in protected areas. While previously it was possible to travel in the protected tundra for 30 days, now permits are issued for only one week. This allows for more accurate tracking of tourist numbers and provides an opportunity to monitor the impact of people on the reserves. It also issues permits automatically online—on average, the document arrives in the applicant's email within three minutes.

By 2035, according to the Strategy for Tourism Development in Russia, the total number of visitors to specially protected natural areas across the country should reach 16 million people. The Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area aims to become a significant part of the tourism industry, with its nature reserves offering a unique proposition in the Russian and international markets.   

Image attribution: Shutterstock

Image attribution: Shutterstock