More than a Journey

On March 15, the all-Russian competition From the Southern Seas to the Polar Region aimed at determining the best tourist attractions in Russia will name the semi-finalists. Today, the main attraction of each region of the country will be named.

The second - final - stage of the competition will take place from March 19 to 31. Among 445 Russian tourism anchors, the most unique ones will be selected to be subsequently included in the More Than a Journey programme. The participants will vote by a show of hands to determine ten attractions in three categories such as The Pride of My Country, The Atmosphere of My Company, The Dream of My Heart. The winners will be announced on April 3. In 2025, they will be included in the tourist routes of the More Than a Journey programme and will also receive information support.

In the next three years, 7.2 billion roubles will be allocated for the implementation of an expanded More Than a Journey programme for schoolchildren and students travelling around Russia.

These funds are set to provide certificates for tourist trips to the winners of competitions and contests held within the framework of the Russia - Land of Opportunities presidential platform’s projects. The authorities assume that thanks to the expanding support, more than 60,000 children will be able to use the programme annually. 

A distinctive feature of the programme is the opportunity for schoolchildren and students to visit places in Russia that are practically inaccessible for ‘traditional’ tourism or very expensive. So, for example, it will be possible to take part in an expedition to the Arctic to explore the Barents Sea. There will be options for participating in the educational programmes related to entrepreneurship, urban environment, information technology popular among young people, as well as ecology.

It should be noted that today, the More than a Journey programme is highly popular with the travellers. According to data published on the programme’s official website, more than 70 thousand students and schoolchildren have already made their journeys, and over 400 different routes in 80 regions of Russia were offered to them. Over one hundred tour operators all over the country help in the implementation of the programme, and it is of greatest interest to children aged 18 to 25 years, and more than half of the participants are of this age.

According to Elena Pereskokova, Head of the Russian Union of Travel Industry’s Project Office for Children’s Tourism, who shared her opinion in an exclusive comment for EcoTourism EXPERT, the increase in funding the programmes aimed at developing the teenager tourism is a very welcome step, however, of course, “additional support is required taking into account that the number of children in the country equals to 17.5 million. Maybe, the help required relates not so much to money and free-of-charge trips, but to ensuring the conditions that would allow children to travel more.”

At the same time, the expert believes that support measures can be very different.

“For example, it is worth thinking about improving and ensuring better interaction between tour operators and schools. We know and often see the situations when school principals say that they will not let their children make a journey as this is an additional responsibility for them. It is necessary to improve the competencies of those involved in the organization of children’s tourism. Schools today have not only the task of teaching, but also the task of educating the younger generation, therefore, the programmes of tour operators must meet the needs of teachers,” says Elena Pereskokova.

Oleg Makarov, Adviser to the Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, recently stated that the standards of the More Than a Journey programme can be extended to other projects aimed at developing the youth tourism. According to him, up to 2 million young people can travel annually within the framework of this programme.

It should be noted that teenager tourism is developing not only thanks to the programme of the Russia - Land of Opportunities presidential platform. In 2023, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) launched the All-Russian programme of educational and career guidance tourism for schoolchildren - Cool Country. The Cool Country project will include 100 educational travel programmes embracing five thematic areas like history and patriotism, culture, ecology, science, sports and a healthy lifestyle taking into account the school subjects. 

This travelling option is very much in demand because about 80 percent of schoolchildren’s parents consider it necessary to supplement the main educational programme with extracurricular educational activities.

It should be noted that in the children’s tourism segment, Russia has recently been in the wake of global trends. This especially intensified during the coronavirus pandemic when lockdowns were imposed in many countries, which, certainly, resulted in the development and strengthening of domestic tourist flows. At the same time, the regions allocate quite serious funds - about tens of millions of roubles - for the development of this tourist segment. With these funds, various free-of-charge excursions for schoolchildren and students are usually organized, and various workshops and events are held.