YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, November 10. /TASS/. The government of the Sakhalin region plans to allocate 500 mln rubles (roughly $7.8 mln) for the incoming tourism development in 2017, regional governor Oleg Kozhemyako announced on Thursday at public hearings on the regional budget.

“The budget stipulates allocating funds for the incoming tourism development. The Agency for Tourism Development already has 500 million rubles. We plan to establish the necessary facilities on the Moneron island, the Tunaicha lake banks and at the Daginskiye mineral water springs,” the governor said.

According to him, the project documents for these facilities should be ready this year while in 2017 the first facilities are scheduled to be put into service.

As head of the regional Agency for Tourism Natalia Osipova explained, in the next three years, the tourist infrastructure outside of big cities is planned to be developed in the Sakhalin region. 

“Today tourists visit mainly the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. In winter it is reasonable as there is the Mountain Air Sports and Tourist Center in the city but in summer tourists should see all the beautiful places across the region,” Osipova said.

According to her, in the first place, a tourist base with a total of 88 rooms will be built at the Tunaicha lake, not far from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. On the Moneron island (located in the Tatasrky Strait and very popular with divers) two tourist bases will be set up while the destroyed piers will be rebuilt. The Daginskiye thermal springs will be revived on northern Sakhalin where a tourist and recreation center is scheduled to be built, that will have 45 rooms.