Eco-tourism on Kamchatka should be handled with care

Eco-tourism is deemedto be one of the top priorities in development of Kamchatka's travel sector. “However, we need to work through every single tourist route very carefully as well as to set up relevant infrastructure”, notes the Head of the region's tourism agency Mr. Gevork Shkhiyan while commenting on Russian Prime-Minister Dmitry Medvedev's statement concerning eco-tourism development. According to Mr. Shkhiyan, the above-mentioned area of focus will be discussed at an international conference the region is getting ready for. “Kamchatka is a unique land. Our wildlife is perfect for eco-tourism. The main thing is to set strict rules for visitors of one or another area in order not to tilt the balance created by Mother Nature”, Gevork Shkhiyan stressed out.

One of the most popular places on Kamchatka is the Geyser Valley. However, a number of visitors per season is strictly limited, as heavy recreational load is quite harmful to the unique wilderness, shows continuous monitoring carried out by environmentalists.

“This one-of-a-kind natural site can be considered a tourist attraction only if strict seasonal quota in the number of visitors is observed. No immediate profits or administrative measures should have an effect on settled regulations”, the deputy director on environmental awareness and educational tourism development of Kronotsky Nature Reserve Ms. Tatiana Gouldina said to Regnum news agency. According to figures she provided, the reserve is visited by over six thousand tourists annually; most of them fly to the Geyser Valley and the caldera of Uzon Volcano.

In order to minimize negative impact on the conservation area, tourists have to follow designated paths and are not allowed to step off them. The site can only be visited from May to October. And in May-June, when bears and birds begin mating, even less visitors are permitted to come.

The nature reserve has a lot of other places of interest. “These places are well worth the time to visit, too. And we do our best to attract more tourists there”, Ms. Gouldina concluded.