Balance with nature: at the International Forum "Eco Altai. Thread of Nature" discussed the law on recreation in specially protected natural areas

The development of eco-tourism creates jobs for the local population, brings investments, ensures the flow of money to the budget through taxation, which can then be reinvested in such important areas as education and healthcare. There is also a positive impact on the development of territories: objects and infrastructure created for tourism can also be used by local residents.

But with the growth of the tourist flow in the area of protected areas, there is a risk of causing damage to nature. To make national parks attractive to visitors and at the same time not to harm specially protected natural territories – all this is provided for by the law on recreational activities, which came into force on September 1, 2023. It was developed on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The new law will allow, in particular, to establish a transparent mechanism for interaction with investors who are willing to engage in tourism activities in national parks. This is important, because until now the procedure looked like this: the administration of the National Park refused a land plot that was placed at the disposal of the Federal Property Management Agency, which further provides land for rent to an investor for the purposes that the businessman himself voiced. That is, it was the land that was the key, not what and how they would build on it. According to the new law, the priority will be precisely the objects and zones where they will be allowed to be installed.

To do this, all specially protected natural areas will calculate their capacity: how many tourists can visit the territory once. Only after that, special places for investment projects will be determined. This will be spelled out in the key document of the national parks – the recreational activity plan. It will be developed by the administrations of national parks, coordinated with the heads of the regions in which the territories are located, and approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia. All plans of recreational activities will necessarily be public, published on the websites of all interested departments.

The mechanics of actions regulated by the resolution will be discussed today by experts within the framework of the International Forum "Eco Altai. The thread of nature". A business session "Tourist Code. Ecotourism and infrastructure. Development of tourism in specially protected natural areas". The partner in its organization is the Russian Travel Forum "Travel!", an innovative project of the Roscongress Foundation, combining the business forum as a platform for dialogue between government and business and the largest tourist festival for travelers in Russia.

Among the issues to be discussed at the session: how to assess the environmental effectiveness of investment tourism projects, build a strategy to attract tourists to national parks, instill in them rules of conduct in specially protected natural areas, as well as provide the environmental sector of the tourism industry with competent and caring personnel and others.