Logo_Service & Tourism: Current Challenges_eng

Spatial Organization of Tourism and Hospitality

Vol. 20 No. 4 (2026)

THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION EVOLUTION OF ARCTIC TOURISM: FROM A MONOCENTRIC TO A POLYCENTRIC MODEL (THE CASE OF THE MURMANSK REGION)

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22412/2414-9063-2026-20-4-175-194
Submitted
October 16, 2026
Published
October 16, 2026

Abstract

The article examines the spatial organization transformation of Arctic tourism in the Murmansk region. The study identifies the factors that shape the transition from a predominantly monocentric tourism system towards an emerging polycentric model. The methodology combines spatial and cartographic analysis, comparison of statistical and infrastructural indicators, analysis of strategic planning documents, and field materials collected in January-­February 2026. A supplementary qualitative component includes semi-structured interviews with representatives of local communities, tourism businesses, municipal authorities, and experts. The findings indicate a functional differentiation of tourism territories within the Murmansk region. Murmansk acts as the core of regional transport, service, and administration. The Khibiny area, including Kirovsk and Apatity, constitutes an autonomous specialized subcentre based on ski, sports, and nature-­oriented tourism. Teriberka is interpreted as an emerging dependent subcentre as it concentrates local tourism functions while remaining dependent on Murmansk in terms of transport access, tour organization, and service provision. The Lovozero and Tersky districts retain a peripheral position despite their considerable natural, recreational, and ethnocultural potential. The theoretical contribution of the study lies in refining the centre-­periphery model for Arctic tourism and proposing the concept of the «media semi-periphery». The latter refers to a territory where tourism status changes rapidly under the influence of media and symbolic representation and at the same time the functional dependence on the regional core persists. The practical relevance of the research concerns the preparation of functional maps for tourism and recreation clusters, spatial planning, and differentiated tourism policy for Arctic territories.

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