By Vestnik Kavkaza
The ruble falling decreases the tourist flow abroad, but encourages the growth of internal tourism, Oleg Safonov, the acting head of Rostourism, stated yesterday. According to him, in 2014 Russia has unique opportunities for growth in internal tourism, due to the recently-held Olympics, the joining of Crimea, the growth of patriotism and the ruble falling.
Meanwhile, in Grozny an agreement was signed on cooperation between the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of Crimea and the Chechen Committee for Tourism. It requires the creation of a united tourist product.
The Crimean-Chechen agreement was signed yesterday in Grozny on the first day of the International Cultural Tourist Forum “The Caucasus – Homeland of Hospitability.” The forum is the final arrangement of the Year of Culture in Russia in the Chechen Republic. MPs, experts, representatives of federal and regional authorities, tourist agencies, guests from Poland, Romania, Azerbaijan, South Ossetia and the U.S. came to Grozny to sum up the results of the year.
They all agreed that culture and tourism are integral parts of the investment policy of any region, and today the North Caucasus, which is proud of its historic and natural legacy, is ready to welcome guests. The main thing is to preserve consensus in society, and tourists will come.
Shaid Zhamaldayev, the Chechnya Minister for Ethnic Policy, External Links, Communications and Information, notes that even though the Russian North Caucasus has a complicated ethnic composition, its peoples have developed a model of inter-ethnic friendship.
Raifa Bitkova, the director of the Department for Public Relations of the North Caucasus Resorts Company, which implements the infrastructural business project in the tourist sphere in the NCFD, Krasnodar Territory and Adygea, expressed the view that tourism in Russia was impossible without culture, and the unique traditions of the North Caucasus gave it advantages over other regions.
Viktor Kruzhalin, the vice-president of the National Academy of Tourism, PhD (Geography), describes tourism as a strategic direction of state policy, while Grozny is the best city in the world, which rose from the ashes.
Tamara Mazayeva, PhD, professor, the vice-principal for science and innovations at the Chechen State University, blamed the expansion of Western culture for ruining the original system of values: “The melting pot theory didn’t withstand the test of time; democracy didn’t consolidate society, the population of America didn’t become a nation… The spiritual health of humanity depends on careful treatment of traditional culture. A person begins to appeal to his ethnic heritage against the background of violence and universal immorality… Preservation of the national system of values is the only opportunity for development of our country.”
The forum continues its work today. Its participants will discuss international cultural cooperation, non-material cultural legacy, economic aspects of tourism development in crisis periods and the cluster model of tourism development.
