The conference “Arctic food as an important part of tourist attraction in the Barents Region” was organized in the framework of the pre-project with the similar title “Arctic Seafood – a tourist attraction in the Barents Region” and was held on March 15, 2016.

Organizers were the main pre-project partners –International center of Arctic cooperation of NCCI and Norwegian company Akvaplan-niva.

Welcoming addresses were delivered by Ole Andreas Lindeman, Consul General of Norway in Murmansk, Anna Popova, representative of the  Murmansk region Government and Anatoly Glushkov, President of Northern CCI.  Prospects for development of the gastronomy tourism in the Murmansk region, educational institutions and catering enterprises cooperation, troubles with fresh raw materials supply for seafood dishes, possibilities for establishing the International Association of the Arctic Food catering companies – all these relevant topics were discussed both during reports and working groups.

Buffet Dinner supported by Consulate General of Norway in Murmansk, Norwegian-Russian chamber of commerce and Akvaplan-niva was an informal continuation of the conference. Most of the dishes were cooked by Norwegian students from Kirkenes College with the guidance of chefs, who came to Murmansk to give the conference guests an opportunity to taste the Arctic cuisine of our Scandinavian guests. Particular emphasis should be made on special treats: exotic slope baked in cream, slope pies that were offered by Murmansk State Technical University (food industry technology department).

The main partners of “Arctic Seafood – a tourist attraction in the Barents Region” pre-project are not going to be complacent, the main three-year project they are going to implement will include gastronomy tourism of northernmost territories of Norway, Sweden and Finland and also Russian territories including Karelia and Archangelsk. The project will focus on all kinds of raw materials for Arctic cuisine (meat, fish, plant raw materials).

Thank for the participation and hope for future cooperation!