Times 1.5 In Russia#

In Russia, according to TASS, travellers are choosing the Arctic for their domestic trips more frequently.

The data shows an increase of approximately 1.5 times compared to the previous year. Yandex Travels and the outdoor brand Red Fox have found that demand for northern hotels has risen by 43 per cent, while interest in hotter destinations has increased by only 30 per cent.

The following destinations have become popular in the Russian North:

• Norilsk—93 per cent
• Sortavala—89 per cent
• Krasnoyarsk—47 per cent
• Murmansk—39 per cent
• Petrozavodsk—30 per cent

Interestingly, the usual stay in the North lasts around two days, while southern locations attract tourists for at least three days.

An intriguing trend is the changing demand in the tourist market. According to experts, tourists prefer ‘authentic locations’ 68 per cent more often, meaning destinations without city infrastructure and hotels are more popular; guesthouses are winning in this regard. This is also evident in the growing demand for tents (25-30 per cent) and trekking clothing (15-20 per cent).

In recent years, we have seen the emergence of tourism in Russia’s new approach to support settlements and cities. The sphere of tourism, for some cities, is reserved as a separate point of work in their master plans. And let us not forget that this will always remain a top priority for Russia to diversify business in the North.

One of the key ministries in Russian Arctic policy—Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic—has recently proposed unifying the preferences regime in the Arctic as well as Russia’s Far East. An interesting concept is the appearance of the term ‘super-territory’, which officials repeat more often. It is worth pointing out, nevertheless, that the aim is obviously focused on ‘big business’, while tourism is more local. This can be inferred from the rather high threshold for preferences—10 million rubles (~USD 128 thousand).

Greenland Likely To Emerge As An International Tourist Destination#

Greenland’s sceneries have always been a major attraction for international tourists. Furthermore, these days air connections are attracting even more visitors.

Interestingly, the emergence of Greenland in the sphere of tourism is possibly linked to the situation surrounding America’s plans, as well as active European interest in the country. See, for example, Macron’s recent visit to Greenland and media’s reaction.

United Airlines, the only air carrier from the States to Greenland, noticed positive effects after opening the route this summer. Scandinavian Airlines did the same—from Copenhagen to Nuuk. This is all due to Greenland’s heavy investment in the tourist sector. Just last year, the Nuuk international airport was completed, and two more are on their way in 2026.

Greenlanders, too, see this as an opportunity to diversify.

Greenlandic scenery

Iceland Attracts Tourists, Ex-President Working As A Guide#

Iceland continues to attract tourists from around the globe.

The country of merely 400,000 people attracted 2.3 million visitors in 2024. The Icelandic government, too, renewed the legal framework for engagement in the tourism sphere. In 2024, the Tourism Policy and Action Plan to 2030 was issued, highlighting different factors in touristic development.

One of the key dangers for tourism in this country is the rapid thaw of glaciers. Skift documented the situation with ‘glacier tourism’ in Iceland with businessmen: “Glacier business won’t last more than another 10 to 15 years.”

A curious fact: in Iceland, Gudni Th. Johannesson, the former president of the country, works as a guide at one of the most prominent tourist destinations, Thingvellir National Park. For European countries, it is quite common for political elites to engage in common activities after leaving office. The population, administration of the park, and tourists perceive this as normal:

“He is a perfect candidate for the job and is a great asset to the team, being a professor of history as well as having this interesting background as the former president of Iceland,” said Einar Saemundsen, director of the park.

The park is famous for the rift between tectonic plates, North American and Eurasian. Some scenes of the show Game of Thrones were shot in this park, which contributes significantly to the popularity of the destination. Let us say, it is a New Zealand effect in place.

Thingvellir National Park in Iceland, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Source: Wikimedia Commons, sikeri, CC BY 2.0

America’s Tourist Market Changing#

As we can see, interest in Arctic tourism is emerging around the world. In Russia’s case, it is primarily domestic and could be linked to the so-called ‘wild’ tourism market. In other cases, like Greenland and Iceland, tourism’s aim is, of course, the international market.

One exception, interestingly, is the drop in the tourist market of the U.S.: we see a powerful trend forming in American-Canadian controversy.

According to the most recent data, Canadians tend to avoid trips to the States as a boycott response to recent U.S. policies. Therefore, existing demand is likely to shift to domestic tourism in Canada. The same is seen on the other side: it is said that Americans are afraid to leave the country because of possible issues upon return.

The statistics stood at 20 million Canadians visiting the States in 2024, approximately 50 per cent of all Canadians! And this represents 26 per cent of all international tourists in the country. This is indeed a significant loss:

“The USA is on a slippery slope, hurtling toward a USD 12.5 billion loss in international visitor spending for 2025. The most recent Economic Impact Research from the WTTC and Oxford Economics discovered that international visitor spending in the U.S. is expected to fall to just under USD 169 billion in 2025, a total down significantly from USD 181 billion in 2024. This shortfall is a 22.5 per cent decline compared to the previous peak—and officials in America’s tourism industry are worried,” writes The Travel.

This trend does not look promising, and the expected outcome can also be cautiously extended to other U.S. allies. Canada was the primary supplier of tourist demand, but the tariff situation may deter more and more tourists from across the globe. It should also be noted that the American vision of the tourist sphere in the Arctic is not as institutionalised as in other countries.

Nature Conservation Or Economic Development?#

Let us not forget about the key cost of tourism in the Arctic. While the Arctic demands the development of infrastructure, it brings up the problem from time immemorial—the cost of such development.

The Arctic will certainly gain more prominence among tourists and continue to emerge as one of the newer markets for tourists from around the globe. This will continue even more so because the development of transport routes is emerging. With the growing availability of distant settlements across the North and the obviously cheaper trip expenses, the Arctic will continue to attract new visitors. We should strive to find a balance here to develop the region sustainably.