From an Industrial Mine to a Tourist Attraction
In the Murmansk region, one of the oldest mines in the region, Kaula-Kotselvaara, which ceased industrial activities in 2023, is planned to be developed as an industrial tourism site.
The mine was built in the 1930s to develop copper-nickel ores. In the spring of 2023, the company “Nornickel” announced the gradual conservation of the mine due to the depletion of ore reserves and the unprofitability of production.
Representatives of regional authorities and the tourism industry visited a test tour, where they assessed the potential of the tourist product and held a strategic session on the development of industrial tourism in the Arctic region. Kaula-Kotselvaara Mine is expected to become a key object of the tourist cluster in the Pechenga District, which will also include the Kola Superdeep Borehole and a suspended floatation plant.
It is worth noting that the test tour was conducted as part of the “Open Industry” program launched in 2023 by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. The program aims to enhance the prestige of working professions through the development of industrial tourism in the regions.
Photo: Ministry of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region