The tourist flow in the Altai Nature Reserve increased by a third this year

More than 92 thousand tourists have visited the Altai Natural Biosphere Reserve (Altai Republic) since the beginning of the year. This is a unique specially protected natural territory of Russia, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"In 2022, the reserve received 69.3 thousand tourists, by November 2023 the increase was 32.7%," the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia reported on its website.

The main flow of eco-travelers came in the summer.

"In June-August, the number of visitors amounted to 60,925 people. This increase is primarily due to the growth of tourist flow to the Altai Republic as a whole. And since Teletskoye Lake, which is partially part of the reserve, and the Korbu Waterfall, located on the territory of the reserve, are a constant attraction for tourists, the number of visits to the reserve is growing," said Olga Yurchenko, deputy director of the Altai Reserve, quoted by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

According to her, about 40% of visitors represent preferential categories - children and tourists of "silver" age.

The number of visitors has grown not only on traditional routes, but also on the underwater ecotrope, which is equipped on Lake Teletskoye. The Zazerkalie dive station has been operating on the territory of the reserve since 2021. Tourists are told about diving equipment, help to scuba dive to the depth of the lake, where they will see landscapes (muddy piles, sand dunes, rocky scree) and fauna. The length of the underwater route is about a kilometer.

"The dive is carried out using diving equipment ("dry" suits) with the obligatory accompaniment of a certified instructor. We conduct such excursions in any season, the exception is bad weather," Yurchenko noted.

Since the beginning of the year, 444 people, including children, have become visitors to the underwater ecotrope. Compared to last year, its attendance increased by 35%.