MOSCOW, September 24 (Itar-Tass) —— The order of the Russian government removing restrictions for foreigners on visits into a part of territory of the Republic of North Ossetia – Alaniya is an important step in development of tourism industry in southern Russia, Resorts of North Caucasus Company /RNC/ said on Monday.
According to the documents, foreigners get an option to visit the territory of the republic’s Alagir region, which was closed for visits back in 1992. This region will have a new Mamison ski resort of international class, which, experts say, will become a pearl of future North Caucasus tourism cluster.
“As this project is aimed at attraction of tourists not only from Russia, but also from abroad, we consider lifting the restrictions for their visits to this developing territory, and the present governmental order is the first step towards settlement of this issue, RNC’s Deputy Director General Vladimir Yevdokimov said.”
The document signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and published on the government’s sit on the Internet, opens an option for foreign citizens’ transit crossing by highways Nazran-Beslan-Nalchik, Verkhny Lars-Vladikavkaz, Nizhny Zaramag-Alagir, Alagir-Ardon, by the M-29 federal highway, and by railroads Nazran-Beslan, Murtazovo, Vladikavkas – Beslan, Alagir – Elhotovo and Gudermes-Mozdok-Prokhladnaya.
“Our foreign investors have been facing a problem of entering the territory during their working trips to the project’s scene. Mamison is a large-scale project with huge geography of involved participants in all stages of implementation. And we realise this needs to be minded,” Yevdokimov said.
He stressed that as Mamison reaches the projected capacity, there will be inflows of skiers from abroad, which have been interested in the project of the North Caucasus tourism cluster.
“Should there be any restrictions, a tourist will simply chose another place for holidays. We are happy this is clear and that we see every support in settlement of his problem at the high level,” he said.
The project of the Mamison all-season ski-recreational complex in the territory of the Alagir and Iraf regions in North Ossetia will occupy the area of 84,000 hectares. There will be 196 kilometres of ski routes, and 50 ski lifts. The daily capacity would be 30,000 tourists. Hotels will offer 25,000 accommodations.
RNC manages the creation in the South of Russia of a large-scale project for the construction of new world-class mountain skiing resorts Lagonaki (Krasnodar Territory, Adygeya), Arkhyz (Karachai-Cherkessia), Elbrus Bezengi (Kabardino-Balkaria), Mamison (North Ossetia), Matlas (Dagestan), Tsori and Armkhi (Ingushetia), as well as beach resorts on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Dagestan. The total length of the downhill courses will exceed 1,100 kilometres and 227 lifts will be installed there. Hotels, apartments and villas of different levels of comfort for 102.5 thousand people will be built, and the daily capacity of the alpine skiing resorts will reach 172 thousand people.