Friday, 3 August, a project of development of ski and beach resorts in the South of Russia presented for the London 2012 Olympics participants and guests. The “Visit Russia!” event held at Russia.Park venue in London.
The event program is dedicated to the Russian North Caucasus, where Sochi – a pearl of this region – will host the next Winter Olympic Games 2014.
Тhe first deputy general director of OJSC Northern Caucasus Resorts Islam Nazaraliyev in his opening speech expressed confidence that the North Caucasus region in Russia will soon become a focal point for tourists and travelers from many countries. “And I’m talking not only about Sochi. The Russian North Caucasus – means the highest and most unexplored peaks in Europe, coastlines of two seas – the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, original culture of nearly 100 nations”, he reminded.
Islam Nazaraliyev told that as decided by the Russian President and the Government of the Russian Federation the construction of the chain of ski resorts along the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range has started whereas the construction of world-class beach and balneological resorts has begun along the coastline. The length of ski slopes will be over 1000 km, with about 150 thsnd. beds at hotels and apartments, dozens of sports facilities have been constructed. And Nazaraliyev noted himself, just in the next few years, North Caucasus resorts will accommodate about 10 million tourists year round.
It is known that the project of development of tourism cluster in the South of Russia has become internationally acclaimed: French, Chinese, Italian, South Korean and other investors are already involved in it, and MIPIM experts named it as “The Best Future Project”.
The tourism cluster will be designed, constructed, and put into service in full compliance with Green Construction principles — the systems of integrated assessment of buildings and structures, including British BRREAM and American LEED systems. In order to protect the nature of the North Caucasus OJSC Northern Caucasus Resorts cooperates with the World Wildlife Fund - Russia, said the company representative.
“The development of tourism cluster along with the Olympic sports facilities in Sochi will provide for our sportsmen with new venues for training and give the opportunity to rise to new heights in world sport”, Nazaraliyev mentioned.
He reminded that the Russian North Caucasus was a native land of almost 60 Olympic champions and 200 world champions in different sports. “Not every region or a country can be proud of such achievements”, he noted.
Islam Nazaraliyev invited the guests to explore the culture of the Russian North Caucasus and keep in mind such names as Arkhyz, Mamison, Elbrus, Matlas, Lagonaki, Armkhi, Veduchi, Tsori, having expressed his confidence that the resorts would become in time the pride, honour and glory of Russia and their names would sound the same as the famous world resorts Veil, Zermatt, Val Thorens, Sella Ronda.
*** By 2020, seven world-class ski resorts: Lagonaki (Krasnodar Region, Adygeуa), Arkhyz (Karachay-Cherkessia), Elbrus-Bezengi (Kabardino-Balkaria), Mamison (North Ossetia-Alania), Matlas (Dagestan), Tsori and Armkhi (Ingushetia), as well as beach resorts on the coast of the Caspian Sea (Dagestan) are planned for construction under a project of development of tourism cluster in the South of Russia.
The length of ski slopes will reach about 1,100 km with 228 ski lifts. In order to accommodate 102.2 thousand people new hotels, apartments and cottages of various comfort levels will be constructed in the area. The daily ski resort capacity will be 172 thousand people.
The development of beach resorts on the Caspian Sea coast provides for construction of 60 sports facilities and 40 tourist, social, business, hotel and transport infrastructure facilities.
The Russian tourism cluster is expected to take in 5-10 million visitors a year, and the project will create up to 330 thousand jobs in the region.
The project is funded on the basis of public and private partnership principles. The state invests 60 billion rubles through OJSC Northern Caucasus Resorts into transportation, engineering and ski lift infrastructure, and private businesses finance resort infrastructure.
For the purposes of dynamic development of the resorts, special tourism and recreation economic zones, which residents obtain tax and customs benefits are created.
The Russian-French JV "International Caucasus Development” plays an international coordinating role in development of a concept and construction of tourism cluster.
The Russian-South Korean JV Eurasia Energy Holdings PTE. LTD. will deal with power supply of tourism cluster.
In view of development of the tourism cluster agreements were achieved with Russian and foreign investors including major private Chinese corporations Dalian Wanda Group and China Oceanwide Holdings Group, the Italian company Rizzani de Echer, the Singaporean company Suprema Associates.
OJSC Northern Caucasus Resorts was named as the "Best Future Project" based on the results of the prestigious international MIPIM Asia Awards real estate development competition.