Geographers from Altai State University promote the development of river tourism in Altai Krai

Associate professor of the Department of Economic Geography and Cartography of the Institute of Geography of AltSU Alexander Krotov, together with students, developed the concept of tourist trips on motor boats along the Ob.

“Barnaul is an intermediate point of the route to the Altai Mountains and Belokurikha, and we have almost no features for real tourist offers,” says Alexander Krotov. “We can show guests the architecture, take them to cafes and theaters, but this is it. And showing the Ob is definitely a big feature. Neither the French, nor the Germans, nor most Europeans have such a river.

In order to show the beauty of the region, young geographers, led by an associate professor, offered several options for river recreation, which can become the basis for creating a business:

• Routes lasting several hours on fast boats and motor boats. Such trips provide for the opportunity to get to know the surroundings of the Ob upstream and downstream and see natural green spaces, which are almost impossible to meet in the city.

• Routes with stops where you can not only admire nature from the river, but also walk along the banks.

• Routes with visits to several places for swimming and fishing at once, or with walks along ecological paths. This option will provide an opportunity not only to breathe fresh air, but also to pick flowers and berries, and also to find out what the river looks like not near the cities, but in wilder and more authentic places. In addition, such trips will introduce you to the main feature of the Ob - meandering - the deformation of the channel, which formed many small uninhabited islands.

• Routes for two or three days with stops and campings for 100-150 people. For this, scientists propose to use the Soviet heritage - the motor ships "Moskva" and "Raketa." And extention to the Ob reservoir or in the opposite direction, to the confluence of the Biya and Katun.

The project participants wrote two term papers with justifications and applied for a regional research grant, but they failed to win it. To organize trips, the team needs free funds and time, which cannot be found when doing science.

The developers plan to take responsibility for the scientific component of the business. In order to carry out this work, scientists need about 300 thousand rubles. They plan to spend this money on studying the problems of the owners of river transport and the expectations of tourists, exploring nature and campsites, as well as purchasing equipment.

In the meantime, the search for investors is underway, scientists fear that the development of river tourism may be hampered by the demolition of the city's only water harbor. To date, the river port has been moved closer to the New Bridge and, most likely, it will remain there. But whether a project is planned to improve the territory and turn it into a symbolic place, which was once a river station, is still unknown.

Alexander Krotov, an associate professor of the Department of Economic Geography and Cartography of Altai State University says:

— It would be ideal to get funding or win a scientific grant by winter. It will take several months to finish the desk work - to prepare calculations and justifications, to find the necessary contacts. During the same period, it is also planned to work with the city administration: approve routes and obtain permits. Next summer we would be able to make test trips.