Russia’s tourism agency suggests promoting Northern Sea Route and Arctic cruises.

The potential market for Arctic cruises is up to 80,000 tourists a year. The Russian Federal Agency for Tourism suggests promoting Northern Sea Route and Arctic cruises. "Cruise and yachting tourism may be a [popular] direction for Russia rich in water resources. Cruises over Russian rivers are quite popular now among Russian and foreign tourists but we should not forget about the Arctic and the Far East," head of the agency Oleg Safonov said on Monday. About three million tourists annually visit Alaska and pass by Russia’s Far Eastern territories. This is related to lack of the relevant domestic infrastructure, Safonov said. "Despite these complications, we managed to launch the first three Arctic cruises this year, from the Svalbard to the Frantz Josef Land," head of the Russian tourism authority said. "The potential market for such cruises is up to 80,000 tourists a year," Safonov added. "We also see the potential of the cruise tourism on the Northern Sea Route is huge. We believe it is a very important element of strengthening Russia’s standing in the Arctic," Safonov said.