Can Tomsk create an interesting tourism product?

Chairman of the Youth and Tourism Committee of the Russian Federal Assembly Federation Council and Senator representing the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast Vladimir Zhidkikh called Tomsk people to take part in the federal program for development of internal tourism.

“The Russian government intends to co-finance creation of tourism infrastructure in the regions of Russia until 2016. If Tomsk creates an interesting tourism product which reaches the expert council, it can expect considerable investments in its tourism sector and creation of tourism clusters in Tomsk and Tomsk Oblast. There are those who argue that Siberia is not attractive for tourists at all. We must abandon this thinking. We do have fascinating places. Wooden architecture is real ginger.”

The Senator explained that before the Federal Law “On the principles of tourist activities…” it was not possible to spend the regional or municipal budgets on the development of internal tourism.

“Now this barrier is lifted. Municipal entities are now encouraged to develop own tourism development programs,” says Mr Zhidkikh. “It was decided at the federal level to invest 96bn rubles in the regions under public-private partnership contracts. If a project developed by the region is approved by the expert council, the government will release part of the funds required to build tourism infrastructure. It might not be enough to build a hotel but it must be enough to build utility lines for the hotel.”

The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast

Can Tomsk create an interesting tourism product?