Modern tourist cluster to be created in Russia's North Caucasus Federal District

About 18 billion rubles will be allocated from the Russian federal budget for the development of the North Caucasian tourist cluster. These funds will allow the "Resorts of the North Caucasus" to create a developed infrastructure in the region's developing resort and tourist facilities.

"Approve the targeted allocation of budget investments from the federal budget to the North Caucasus Resorts in 2018-2021 to  made capital investment in the design and construction of capital construction projects, being implemented within the framework of the investment project 'Creation of infrastructure for special economic zones of tourist cluster in the North Caucasus Federal District'," a resolution signed by the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, published on the government portal.

Budget investments in the project this year will amount 4.28 billion rubles, a total of 4.5 billion rubles will be allocated annually for these purposes, covering the period up to 2021. The funds will be spent on construction and installation works at the Karachay-Cherkess all-season ski resort Arkhyz, as well as on design, survey and construction works in the Chechen "Veduchi" and Kabardino-Balkar "Elbrus".

The deputy director general of the TUI Russia tour operator for interaction with authorities and communications Alexander Sirchenko noted, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, that first of all the funds should be directed to the development of infrastructure facilities. "In order to attract tourists, we need to provide a service of the appropriate level. Today there is a large deficit of quality buses in the North Caucasus. We also need to rain guides, translators and professionals in tourism," the expert said.

In his opinion, after solving all these problems, the resorts of the North Caucasus may become a good alternative to foreign resorts. "The prospects are great, they are based on the unique natural resources existing in the North Caucasus Federal District," the deputy director general of the TUI Russia tour operator for interaction with authorities and communications explained.

Professor of the Department of Business Process Management in Production and Service of RANEPA, Galina Dekhtyar, in turn, said that in the first place the funds should be directed to make resort facilities accessible. "The resorts are in a bad condition today, transport roads are in need of reconstruction, airport reconstruction is also necessary. In addition, the cost of air transportation should be reduced," the expert said.

She also shared her opinion about whether the NCFD resorts will eventually become a full-fledged replacement for foreign ski resorts. "In the North Caucasus, there are a lot of interesting places, the same wellness sources. They can, for example, be an alternative to Baden-Baden, but not now. However, the development of these resorts can reach a new stage if we attract foreign tourists to Russia," Galina Dekhtyar summarized.