Research project: Ecotourism and remoteness - Sibiria
Irkutsk to Chita
Towards the end of my master studies I got the chance to be part of a research project in Siberia. The team consisted of a group of researchers from the university of VIenna and translators. My personal research project examined ecotourism and remoteness. Despite language barriers we established a good cooperation with local guides and tourist companies.
We travelled from Irkutsk, through Ust-Kut, Severobaykalsk, Chara, Tynda, and Pervomayskoe, to Chita. Got drilled in data gathering methods in challening circumstances while we overcame motion sickness, language barriers and sleep deprivation. Thanks to the insights locals shared we learner much about the relations between infrastructure, tourism and the role of local nature ideologies in daily life for many people in the Baikal region. The Baikal area is climate-wise a cold region, but the people we met showed us the warm side of Baikal.
The results of this project have not yet been published, but I share some visual impressions below.