Ecological tourism as a factor of sustainable development of the Western Arctic

The article is based on the expert assessment of ecological tourism as the priority and competitive type of recreational nature management in the Western Arctic. The theoretical provisions are developed and the importance of the tourism industry in the sustainable development of the Russian Arctic is determined based on the analysis of problems and prospects of the modern development of ecological types of tourism in the regions and centers of tourism. The specificity of tourism is discussed considering the increased interest in the Arctic, the growth of cruise tourism and the increase in the anthropogenic load on the polar landscapes. Proposals are given and priority strategic tasks for the development of Arctic tourism are formulated: minimization of anthropogenic impact on the environment and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage of the Arctic, increasing the availability of Arctic territories for tourists. Development of competition in the field of transport, simplification of logistics, the combination of sea cruises with air travel to reduce the cost of travel for those wishing to visit the unique high-latitude Arctic territories and increase the tourist flow. Due to the predominance of expensive types of tourism in the Arctic, support for low-cost and high-income tourism destinations is needed. Innovative investment projects in the field of the Arctic tourism based on clusters could attract tourists and additional investments in infrastructure modernization.