Ingushetia has recently presented its tourism potential in Moscow. The main tourism and recreation potential of the republic is concentrated in the mountain district. The mountainous district of Ingushetia is a unique ecosystem with a special micro-climate, rich and unique flora and fauna and a picturesque landscape. There are some ancient plants here that can’t be found anywhere else, like specific species of sea-buckthorn, barbery, pine and beech. Unique landscapes combined with architectural monuments create a harmonious image of calm and composure.
For many people Ingushetia is terra incognita, the unknown land. Untouched nature and a unique ecosystem are still intact here. A whole new and beautiful world opens to everyone who comes here.
This is the place where two new ski resorts of the NCFD tourism cluster will be realized. In the framework of the special tourism and recreation economic zone, world-class all-season and skiing resorts will be constructed in the Sunizhin and Djeiran districts of the republic. Soon there will be 20 aerial cableways here, as well as 65 km of modern ski slopes with a difference in height of more than 1750 m. The general capacity of the resorts will be 8,000 tourists per day. The hotel accommodation will comprise 12,000 places. The creation of an extreme-park as well as an ice palace and biathlon complex is also planned. One of the main specific traits of this resort is the formation of a tourist environment for disabled people.
There are lot of unique monuments here – battle and living towers, castles, temples, mausoleums and shrines – which makes the territory very interesting.
One of the biggest modern resorts of the North Caucasus, ‘Armkhi’, is situated at a height of 1250 meters above sea level on a nature reserve territory. The mountain air has unique qualities which are capable of healing almost all respiratory diseases. Automobile and horse tours to historic places surrounded by legends and myths is but a small part of the services offered by the resort. Soon the first modern ski slope in Ingushetia will be opened here.
One of the most ancient Christian temples of Russia, Takhba-Yadry, is located in Ingushetia. It dates back to the 8th century. The famous castle-fortress of Vovnushki is also situated nearby. It became a finalist of the ‘7 wonders of Russia’ contest. Its towers are so skillfully and beautifully made that it still fascinates us. One forgets everything when one sees the harmony of this fairy-tale castle. It is one of the main sites of interest in Ingushetia, attracting tourists from all over the world.
In Targim Hollow, which harbors great potential for new scientific discoveries, there is the youth camp ‘A’rzi’. The North Caucasian Youth Ecotourism Center will be created nearby. The hollow has preserved unique ancient plant species which have no analogies in the world.
Ingushetia has a lot of mountain rivers, such as the Assa, Armkhi, Terek and Sunzha Rivers, which could contribute to the development of extreme tourism, including rafting. Ingushetia also has rich reserves of mineral waters, not unlike Borzhomi.
the Ingush republic has vast natural and cultural resources, significant tourism and recreation potential, but it is, unfortunately, under-represented on Russian and world tourism markets, despite the fact that the mountain district of Ingushetia today is interesting for tourists from various countries. It is a unique natural paradise for tourism and recreation.
According to Andrey Vorobyov, deputy chairman of the State Duma, for the first time in its history the Ingush Republic will create two world-class tourism centers. The centers will be capable of hosting 8,000 tourists a day. They are situated 50 km one from another and it is in the range of transport accessibility from two major airports, in Magas and Vladivostok.
The main purpose of the project is the creation of a vast tourism infrastructure in Ingushetia and the creation of many new jobs (more than 10,000), as well as a general boost to the Ingush economy. These two major complexes will be created in 10 years, as it is a great volume of work. The construction manager is the ‘Acropol’ company, which has already started its work, and we will be able to visit the first ski slope this November. But the mountainous district of Ingushetia has even greater potential, and it is a unique potential for the whole Caucasus and even Russia, - the tower-building culture. It dates back to the second millennium BC and it has been evolving since then. “The unique architecture of battle and living towers is our tie to the past, and we want not only the Ingush, but all Russians and even foreign tourists to be able to enjoy it”, - Vorobyov said.
