The total tourist flow of Arkhyz resorts in Karachay-Cherkessia and Elbrus-Bezenghi in Kabardino-Balkaria (in the area of Elbrus), forming a part of the North Caucasus tourism cluster, in winter season of 2014/2015 amounted to over 230 thousand people. During a working meeting, Oleg Gorchev, NCR OJCS Director General, has reported this fact to Lev Kuznetsov, Minister of North Caucasus Affairs.

During the winter season of 2014/2015, Arkhyz was visited by about 90 thousand visitors, which means that the tourists flow increased by 2.5 times compared to last year. The trails for skiers were opened in late December, and the average monthly flow of tourists at the resort reached about 30 thousand people. For comparison, during the entire period of Arkhyz test operation last winter, it was visited by about 35 thousand tourists. During the period from December to March, Elbrus resort has sold 140 thousand skipasses for cableways of Azau and Cheget medows, which is comparable with the rest of the tourist flow to the resort for the entire previous year, said the Head of NCR OJSC.

The Minister highly appreciated the results of the ski season in the North Caucasus resorts. “In view of the noticeable reorientation of tourist flow to domestic resorts — the demand grew by 20% within only a year, the work on creation and operation of competitive recreation areas in the North Caucasus Federal District is extremely timely and important. This is quite topical not only in terms of import substitution in tourism — and the Caucasus may indeed be a decent alternative to European leisure areas, but also to enhance the investment attractiveness of the district as a whole,” said Lev Kuznetsov.

Also, as noted by the Head of the Russian Minkavkaz, the resorts become the focal point of social activity of the NCFD constituent entities. According to his opinion, they provide affordable and quality vacation, as well as help to improve the standard of living of the local population, the development of regional small and medium-sized businesses which get an opportunity to implement their own projects in tourism and related sectors of the economy.

The Head of the Russian Minkavkaz noted the importance of the efforts of NCR OJSC to attract extrabudgetary funding to the project of creation of the tourism cluster. “In the face of optimisation of the federal budget costs, it is important to look for alternative sources of funding for priority projects in the North Caucasus: tourism, industrial, agricultural, innovative. Without the support of private investors, we can’t use the high potential of the “growth points” created by the state through regional development institutions, such as the management company “North Caucasus Resorts,” said Lev Kuznetsov.

Oleg Gorchev, NCR OJSC Director General, has confirmed that the Company is actively working to attract investment in the tourism cluster project. “Nine residents are already operating at Arkhyz resort, two of which received the related status at the end of the winter season of 2014/2015. They build various facilities of commercial, hotel, tourist and entertainment infrastructure in the resort’s territory. We hope that after NCR OJSC received the functions management of land plots included in the Elbrus region SEZ, the regional businesses traditionally engaged in tourism will actively engage in the development of the resort, but already the new status of residency, which gives significant tax benefits,” he said.

Within the frames of the working meeting, the Company also announced the plans of investments for 2015-2016. NCR OJSC will channel 1 billion rubles for the development Elbrus-Bezenghi resort in the Elbrus region. The funds will be used for the construction of the third stage of the cableway on Mount Elbrus, the creation of two ski runs and landscaping of Azau meadow. It is planned to install the up-to-date snow-making system at the ski run sector of “Azau” - “Stary Krugozor”, and this will be the next stage of the resort development.

For the period of 2015-2016, it is planned to design and build a chairlift at the Arkhyz ATCR, that will connect the “Romantic” village with new tourist village “Lunnaya Polyana”. Four more pistes will be laid. It is planned to design the cableway up to the ridge of the Abishira-Akhuba, in the long term this will open new view points and tourist trails, as well as a freeride zone. The Company plans to start designing of ski infrastructure on the northern slope of the resort.

This year’s ski season at Arkhyz ATRC will last until early April; and until May in the Elbrus region, depending on the weather conditions.