Russia moving to boost tourism in new Arctic park

According to Norway's Barents Observer, officials of Russia's newly established national park, "Arctic Russia," are moving forward on plans to create infrastructure to allow tourists to access the previously closed islands of Novaya Zemlya and Franz-Josef Land, which sit above western Russia between the Kara and Barents seas. The new park was created a little more than two years ago, and its director, Roman Viktorovich Ershov, tells the Observer in a lengthy interview that preservation, scientific research and tourism are the three main areas of concern as the park gets going. The park is almost fully staffed, he said, and its office in the city of Arkhangelsk is being furnished. Soon, a visitors center, museum and exhibition and conference halls will follow there, he said. An expedition crew this field season has begun establishing a base camp for the park, near Cape Zhelaniya, which in the future could house a permanent, joint research station. Read much, much more, here.