“Now that a complete ban is valid, it is certainly wrong. Any reasonable person understands that the prohibitions will not do anything for tourist coming and going. The ban will encourage wild campers and unregulated tourist activities.”
The minister pointed out that tourists chopping down trees, leaving trash and debris, and otherwise degradation the pristine environment around the world’s largest freshwater lake would only get worse without developing a sustainable model. He told committee members:
“Barbed wire to enclose the Baikal is impossible. The only way to save Baikal from overgrowing, and to pass it on to future generations is to adjust human activity on the shores of the lake.”
The council was convened to discuss the priorities for implementation of decrees of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin dated may 7, 2012. In addition, Council members discussed the execution in the Siberian regions of the Russian Federation orders of the President of Russia and other solutions aimed at the development of other domestic and inbound tourism.
Nagovitsyn went on to say he had discussed this issue with the head of the Federal tourism Agency Oleg Safronov. The minister is in favor of removing such restraints on appropriate development so that “wild” unregulated tourism could be prevented. Removing constraints and allow to build treatment facilities, tourist accommodation, and even lifting restrictions on sale of land, should all fall under the watchful eye of “sovereign” Russia.