The ban on routes to the Kamchatka Mutnovsky volcano has not yet been lifted. Experts of the tourism industry note: This is a disadvantage for the region’s economy. Foreign experience suggests other ways to develop natural sites: they are equipped, strengthened, and made safe and accessible to tourists.
Tourism in Russia has gained a second wind after the pandemic and is actively developing. Many distant regions are getting closer, and Kamchatka is attracting more and more attention from tourists. It was almost impossible to get to Kamchatka in the 1990s. It’s expensive, and the borders are close. No wonder the motto of the Kamchatka Territory is a phrase carved on a monument with figures of bears, which greets travelers in Yelizovo, where the airport is located: “Russia begins here.” And what can you do in Kamchatka? The most vivid impression Kamchatka leaves is the local beauty: hills, volcanoes, caves, geysers.
“Kamchatka has indeed become more and more popular among Russian regions in recent years in terms of tourist interest. People want to go there both in winter and in summer. And, of course, the main request is to see wildlife, to see volcanoes, because there are a lot of them in the Kamchatka Territory, there are about 300 volcanoes, of which 29 are active. This uniqueness of the territory attracts travelers,” says Julia Alksnitis, owner of the Podorozhnitsa travel company, organizer of individual tours.
What Kamchatka is losing
But not all natural sites in Kamchatka are accessible today. For example, for more than a year tourists have been dreaming of seeing Mutnovsky volcano in all its glory. This place is only an hour’s drive from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, you don’t even need a helicopter. Mutnovsky breathes, his countless fumaroles emit steam, the stones change color as they cool down, getting unusual shades, the landscapes here are incredible — both below and when viewed from the top. Mutnovsky became popular with tourists as a place for unique photo shoots. But it’s closed. The authorities are worried that the edges overhanging the route through the volcano may fall, and this is dangerous.
“As for the now—closed Mutnovsky volcano, this is, of course, a great loss for tourists, albeit temporary – I would like to hope so. In general, according to practice, any closure of an object, no matter natural or historical, architectural, cultural, is the loss of a certain part of the tourist audience, — says Julia Alksnitis. — Yes, someone will go to see another monument, another museum or another volcano. But perhaps this tourist will not return here, even if the facility is reopened: either he does not want to risk money (what if he comes and the facility is closed again?), or he has already lost interest in this particular territory, this monument of nature or history, or he has already seen something similar, and repeat it’s not interesting.”
Therefore, the expert of the tourism industry believes that Kamchatka, of course, may lose some tourists due to the closure of Mutnovsky. Well, this has a negative impact on the economy of the region. “It’s no secret that any region is making a lot of money today thanks to tourism, today it is one of the fastest growing industries in Russia,” recalls Yulia Alksnitis.
The specialist addresses us to foreign experience: “I think, of course, the authorities, both local, say, the Government of Kamchatka, and relevant federal agencies, including the Ministry of Economic Development, which is subordinate to the tourism industry today, should not leave Mutnovsky in oblivion. For example, why not look at the practice of other countries? Such facilities are being built there. Security issues are being addressed, explored, equipped — and such natural places are becoming accessible to tourists. It’s simple to take control of the situation, change it, and ensure safe, competent, and disciplined tourism.”
For example, says Julia Alksnitis, funiculars are installed abroad in places of volcanic activity, or even special cable railway mini-tracks, for example, in Switzerland – you ride in such a mini-cabin and look at volcanic landscapes. Or they set up hiking trails to protect people, put up fences, and people walk along a ready-made, paved, comfortable route. “That is, usually in other countries, if facilities are closed, it is for modernization and development,” explains Julia Alkstinis. “And people are already waiting for something to be done, improved, changed.”
From the Red Cross to rock shelters and sensors: how volcanoes and tourists are protected abroad
Indeed, the authorities abroad are trying to do their best to ensure people’s attention and access to interesting natural or historical sites, because it is clear that the influx of tourists is equal to the influx of money into the economy of the region. For example, Costa Rica is a country in Central America. The territory is slightly larger than Moscow and the Moscow region, and there are more than 100 volcanoes described by science alone! And 7 of them are active. As Alexander Ivanov, the owner of America Tours Costa Rica, who has been organizing tours for more than 15 years, told us, both locals and visitors of the country are very fond of watching volcanoes. This means that this interest should be used, ensuring, of course, comfort and safety.
“All active volcanoes in Costa Rica are located in national parks, and any human activity is prohibited there, roughly speaking, except toilets and a souvenir shop. No production facilities or residential buildings. But the tourist infrastructure is provided,” says Alexander. An experienced guide shared with us: of the 7 volcanoes here, 6 are geyser volcanoes, and one is lava. “Our most famous and must—visit volcano, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, is Poas volcano. You can reach the height by car and then walk about 600 meters to the crater. The crater is wide, 1.5 kilometers, and very beautiful. It fills with water during the rainy season. There are a lot of fumaroles on the volcano. Usually, after visiting Poas, we take tourists to the thermal springs area,” says Alexander Ivanov. Or, for example, the Arenal volcano, which has a regular conical shape — lava has not erupted here for a long time, but the volcano is breathing, and you can observe its breathing.
Of course, volcanoes in Costa Rica are serious, and the authorities know how to manage their complex nature. For example, there was a major eruption in Arenal in 1968, when 89 people died. The local villages then decided not to rebuild, but to relocate, removed from the zone of possible destruction. “But now a dam has been built there, flooding the remains of the destroyed villages. And now there are dozens of hotels around Arenal. It’s safe around the volcano. You can’t climb to the very top, but they specially equipped viewing platforms at the bottom about 8 years ago. And when the volcano spewed out plastic mass, dozens of people with cameras, spyglasses, and telephoto lenses were standing there. And they filmed it. It was especially beautiful in the evening: when the volcano made an outburst, the clouds above it were colored with orange hues,” says Alexander Ivanov.
And the Poas volcano, for example, erupted violently in 2017, and after that year and a half it was closed to visitors. And now it’s open again. “When you buy tickets there, it says that the volcano is active. Rock shelters were built on the volcano. We also wore hard hats for a year and a half. However, when burning stones the size of a ball fly out, a helmet is unlikely to protect. These were temporary measures, now we go without helmets. Rather, these yellow bright helmets simply helped to track groups of tourists, they can be seen from afar,” the Costa Rican guide gives an example of volcano equipment.
And in Costa Rica, all the sightseeing areas around and on volcanoes are carefully equipped. According to the head of America Tours Costa Rica, money and efforts have been invested: “Parking lots are equipped everywhere. There is a “Red Cross” in case of any injuries or other requests from tourists. There are also indicators of sulfur in the air: it is assumed that if a volcano suddenly intends to eruption, these devices will show an increase in the concentration of sulfur in the air, although I doubt that the equipment can detect these percentages of changes. And it is also important that there are not just wild trails on volcanoes. Everything is set up. Along the route, volcanoes are equipped with rock shelters here and there, as well as paths, railings, and ladders.” And you have to pay for admission, the cost can be from $ 15, and hundreds of people come to the volcano. And this is reasonable: the funds received, and they are quite a lot, can be spent by local authorities and the management of national parks on improving the infrastructure at natural tourist sites, on their protection and on the safety of tourists.
The fate of volcanoes depends on the wealth of the country
As Alexander Ivanov notes, similarly, the Kamchatka authorities should carefully monitor the condition of their volcanoes. After all, it is literally the property of Kamchatka! As for Costa Rica, its volcanoes. “Everything that the authorities of a country do with their volcanoes depends, no matter how banal, on the wealth of the country,” the tourism expert is convinced. For example, Costa Rica still has money, although it is still considered a third world country. And next to it is Nicaragua, where they don’t take care of volcanoes, they don’t equip them.
“I once climbed Telica volcano in Nicaragua, where you can look directly into the crater, but there are no fences, you can even fall. I decided — no, thanks, I won’t go there anymore,” the guide shares his impressions.
Work could be carried out on Mutnovsky to remove threatening canopies and strengthen hiking trails. Equip passageways and platforms, as it is done in other places, in the same Valley of Geysers.
According to Alexander Ivanov, of course, in the case of Mutnovsky, it may take some time to carry out all the necessary research and examinations, but the situation should not be allowed to take its course: “It is possible to actually carry out work on the volcano to remove dangerous walls on the route, and of course, routes through volcanoes should be equipped.”.
Yulia Alksnitis agrees with the opinion that Mutnovsky can be improved and equipped: “It is possible to strengthen the breed, adjust something somewhere, remove dangerous canopies of the breed, for example. It is clear that this requires finances and a budget. And, apparently, time and effort. I think the Kamchatka authorities, from the governor of Kamchatka to the Ministry of Tourism of the Kamchatka Territory, should think about this.” For Kamchatka, the expert recalls, the main income items are, firstly, salmon, and secondly, tourism, with geysers, springs and volcanoes.
Tourprom