By Vestnik Kavkaza
Russia has fulfilled one of the most ambitious projects in its history. The question is what will happen to Sochi, in which huge investments have been made after the Olympics.
Ilya Ulmansky, vice president of the Association of Tourist Operators of Russia, says that Sochi is presented as the number one resort: “The level of resort infrastructure which Sochi obtained during the preparations for the Olympics is unique for the resorts of Russia and Sochi can compete with many world resorts. We are sure that Sochi will gain a significant inflow of tourists in 2014 after the Olympics and will share tourists with neighboring regions.”
Umansky thinks it is important that “Sochi attracted professional companies which manage hotels. They attracted managers from all over the country and from other countries, and our resorts have always lacked good management. Today we can see a different approach to price formation and a different approach to work with partners.”
Maria Goryachko, a reader in Economic and Social Geography of Russia at the Geography Department of MSU, says that the majority of the money invested in Sochi stayed in the city: “This is infrastructure, transport, a drainage system which was absent in Sochi. Moreover, Sochi got a new lifestyle. People become kinder, they bring their children to sport schools. Sochi residents begin to work in well-paid segments of the economy. The city has no deficit of electric power anymore. However, it is not enough to construct infrastructure; it is important to create the conditions for effective use of the infrastructure.”
Vladimir Gutenyov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee for Industry, admits that “the state is interested in giving a significant number of facilities to private investors, but it is impossible in the conditions under which the facilities were constructed. Mistakes in engineering appeared due to strict time limits, the difficult landscape and very careful treatment of the environment. High ecological standards predetermined a high cost of the built facilities; and it is difficult to make private investors buy expensive facilities… We should analyze mistakes and drawbacks to avoid them in further projects.”
According to Gutenyov, “our main task is to make Sochi's infrastructure work. And it is important to create a positive trend in the mentality of Sochi's population. I visited Sochi several decades ago, and the attitude of the taxi drivers, for example, was disrespectful… Now there is a radical change, and “polite people” have become a brand of Russia.”
