Came, Fell in Love, Stayed: How Tourism is Attracting People to Cities with Scientific Potential

Developing a hospitable environment in small towns that have high scientific and technological potential, yet are surrounded by stereotypes about their exclusively industrial nature, is becoming a tool for enhancing their attractiveness and solving staffing problems. Retaining and attracting the population to such cities requires a comprehensive approach with improvements to the quality of education and the development of medicine as well as volunteer and environmental initiatives. These measures aim to improve people’s quality of life and create conditions for a comfortable lifestyle. How can we overcome stereotypes about industrial cities and reveal their tourism potential through historical and cultural heritage and innovative projects? How can projects like Rosatom’s Hospitable Cities become a model for transforming other single-industry towns? What barriers arise when transforming closed industrial areas into open tourism centres, and how has the project helped to overcome them?