London good bye – Visit Russia

Pavel Martynov. Exclusively to VK

In a few days before the end of the London Olympic Games the head of the presidential administration, Sergey Ivanov, called performance of the Russian national team a failure. Today it is obvious that “the medal plan” won’t be fulfilled. Of course, it is a pity, but there is no doubt that the level of sport development in the country doesn’t depend on gained medals in the Olympic Games.

The United Kingdom hoped that the Olympics will improve London’s positions as one of the leading world capitals. But the most expensive Games in the whole history became a headache for tourist industry, for example. According to the European Association of Tourist Operators, during conduction of the Games the number of tourists in London decreased to 30% in comparison with an average index in Augusts. But we can hope that the London Olympics will contribute to development of Russian tourist industry. The Russian side presented the project of development of mountain-skiing and littoral resorts in the south of Russia. The program “Visit Russia!” was devoted to the North Caucasus.

First deputy of the general director of Resorts of the North Caucasus, Islam Nazarliyev, assured everyone who came to the Russian Park that soon the North Caucasus of Russia will be a center of attraction of tourists and travelers from many countries: “And I mean not only Sochi. The Russian Caucasus is the highest and the most unexplored peaks of Europe, coastlines of two seas – the Black and the Caspian Sea, unique cultures of more than 100 ethnic groups.” Nazarliyev told editors-in-chief of major British and international mass media that a net of mountain-skiing resorts is building along the whole Major Caucasus Range. The length of mountain-skiing runs surpasses 1000 km. About 150 thousand rooms in hotels and apartments will be built. Dozens of sporting facilities will be constructed. In several years resorts of the North Caucasus will welcome millions of tourists annually. The project of the tourist cluster in Russia approved by international society: investors from France, China, Italy, the Republic of Korea, and other countries are involved in it. Experts of MIPIM called it “the best project of the future.”

Moscow believes that development of tourist cluster, as well as Olympic facilities in Sochi, will enable Russian athletes new platforms for trainings and they will be able to reach new peaks in the world sport. Nazarliyev reminded that the Russian Caucasus is a birthplace for almost 60 Olympic champions and 200 world champions in various kinds of sport: “Few regions can be proud of such achievement, even not many countries.”