At the very end of last year, the Ministry of the North Caucasus of Russia approved the composition of the Expert Council for tourism and recreational SEZs included in the North Caucasus tourism cluster managed by JSC KSK, thanks to which active work with applications began in early 2018 potential residents of the SEZ, the company noted. In total, four meetings of the Expert Council for the SEZ were held during the year, at which residents presented their investment projects.
"Veduchi", "Armkhi" and "Elbrus"
In February, the Expert Council approved applications from two residents of the Veduchi SEZ in the Chechen Republic, the companies Pik and Vershina, for a total of 471 million rubles. Both projects have already been implemented – the accommodation facilities are welcoming the first guests of the Veduchi resort, the youngest ski resort in Russia.
The company "Peak" built the hotel complex "Edelweiss" 3* with 86 rooms and 216 places of accommodation with a restaurant, lobby and karaoke bars, entertainment and health area with a swimming pool, sauna and hammam, as well as a games area with tennis and billiards.
The Vershina company offers the resort guests accommodation at the Chechenski tourist base, designed for active youth. In winter, the tourist base offers a ski and snowboard equipment rental point, and in summer, mountain bike rental. Guests can stay in an economy-class hostel with 40 beds or in nine comfortable double rooms. Three cinema halls, six game rooms, a small billiard room and a number of other facilities are available for organizing leisure.
The first resident has appeared in the SEZ "Armkhi" and "Tsori" in the Republic of Ingushetia. The company "Tourist Center" will be engaged in the construction of a multi-profile shopping and leisure center "Gostiny Dvor "Armkhi", which will include a local history museum, shopping arcades, sports and children's playgrounds. The volume of investment in the project will be about 20 million rubles.
In August, the application of the first potential resident of the Elbrus SEZ, the Elbrus Adventure company, was approved. It intends to invest about 10 million rubles in improving the level of service at the resort: training in alpine skiing and snowboarding at a school of professional instructors, organizing the work of a store and rental point for ski and mountaineering equipment. The company will also ensure the operation of the Saby Park training park, organize ascents to the summit of Mount Elbrus, trekking routes and excursions, and accommodation in the LeapRus high-mountain shelter.
"Arkhyz"
In February, the application of the new resident of the Arkhyz SEZ, the Olympia company, for 1.12 billion rubles was approved. The company will build a 4* hotel and spa complex with 114 rooms and 242 places to stay and a cottage village of 20 cottages at the resort. According to the plan, the facility will include a restaurant, lobby and ski bars, a spa center with two swimming pools, a sauna, a hammam, a gym, beauty and massage rooms. Guests of the complex will have a ski equipment rental point, a children's play center, and an excursion bureau.
Another resident of Arkhyz, Arkhyz Development, will be engaged in the construction of an economy capsule hotel with a capacity of up to 600 people. The total investment volume of the SEZ resident will be over 450 million rubles, the project is planned to be implemented within two years.
"Currently, the majority of tourists in the winter season book accommodation 10 km from the resort in more affordable boarding houses and recreation centers. Thanks to the appearance of an economy class hotel on the site of "Arkhyz" itself, guests with an average and low income will be able to relax comfortably in the immediate vicinity of the cable cars," commented on the project First Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for North Caucasus Affairs, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KSK Odes Baysultanov.
In November, applications from SEZ resident companies "Kurort Invest" and "Paradise" for the construction of the hotel complex "Pyat Gor", which will include a hotel and 18 chalets, and another hotel complex of eight chalets were also approved. The total investment will amount to 935 million rubles.
Results of 2018
"Two more residents of the Arkhyz SEZ - the companies Sosny and PikExperience - have increased their business plans previously approved by the Expert Council by a total of 715 million rubles of additional investment. This fact, and the overall increase in the number of applications that are received today by the Ministry of the Caucasus of Russia for obtaining the status of a SEZ resident, shows the growing activity of investors - they have become interested in investing money in tourism in the Caucasus," the KSK press service reported to the Interfax-Tourism portal.
"The status of a resident of special economic zones in the North Caucasus Federal District helps investors reduce the cost of their projects by 20-30%. Savings are achieved through tax incentives, reduced land rental rates and the ability to connect to the engineering and transport infrastructure at the resorts, already provided by KSK," emphasized the company's CEO, Hasan Timizhev.
In total, there are currently 33 residents registered in the SEZ under the management of KSK, and two more companies, whose applications have already been approved by the Expert Council for the SEZ, are in the process of signing agreements on the implementation of tourism and recreational activities.
Source: tourism.interfax.ru