Construction of a new modern river port will begin next year in the Zavidovo special economic zone.
"We position Zavidovo as the starting point for trips along the Volga. The Volga is a truly national tourism project, which can increase the flow of inbound tourism, - Dmitry Okorokov, president of ZavidovoDevelopment LLC. "It's not just nature, it's also historical sites and cities that are connected to three-quarters of the country's history. Rivers are the backbone of Russia, and every city on the Volga tells its own story."
Governor of the Tver Region Igor Rudenya notes the importance of expanding the region's transport accessibility for tourists: "It's important for us to develop tourism transport infrastructure. The main goal is to increase tourist flow to the Tver Region and create new jobs for residents of the region."
A unique transport hub with a Category 1 river port (with an average daily passenger turnover of over 2,000) will be built in Zavidovo. It will be connected by rail to the Moscow-Konakovo railway. The hub is planned to integrate river, rail, and road transport. Russia does not yet have a hub that connects river transport with rail. "Domestic tourism in the Russian Federation is growing, so it's important to expand logistics. Water routes between Moscow and St. Petersburg are currently underdeveloped. Moreover, the river transport route between Moscow and St. Petersburg passes through the 128-kilometer Moscow Canal, which runs through the Moscow and Tver regions. The canal has eight locks and eight hydroelectric power plants, causing delays for boats of a day or more," explains Dmitry Okorokov. "The construction of a new river port and transport hub in Zavidovo will help solve this problem, and tourists will be able to embark on water travel directly from Zavidovo."
The key challenges that need to be addressed for the efficient use of waterways and the development of domestic and inbound cruise tourism include, firstly, the construction of modern berthing and service infrastructure and the creation of new tourist attractions, especially for young people. "Currently, Russia has 117 river ports, 40 percent of which have already reached the end of their service life," Dmitry Okorokov points out. "Meanwhile, not a single river port has a transport hub. Now Russia will have a modern port with a transport hub, which will facilitate travel logistics. The goal of the concept for creating a transport hub in Zavidovo is the efficient use of budget funds through public-private partnerships and attracting private investment, meeting the needs of the population, businesses, and the government for the economical and safe movement of people, cargo, and goods across the entire inland waterway network, increasing the sustainability of inland waterway transport, creating a unified, harmonious national transport system, and realizing the transit potential of Russia's inland waterways."
The port in Zavidovo will also be able to accommodate tourist vessels from Europe. Experts estimate that attracting at least 51,000,000 European vessels to Russia will generate €200-250 million in annual revenue from water tourism.
A complex of mooring structures, piers, fuel stations, and a river terminal building will be built at the mouth of the Shosha River (Ivankovskoye Reservoir). The hub will be able to accommodate both cruise ships and pleasure boats. Outside of the navigation season, the port will be able to accommodate approximately five tourist cruise ships and up to 10 excursion and pleasure boats for winter storage.
"The potential annual number of 'green berths' for the planned port will average 480 per year. In the port's design area, navigation lasts an average of 6.8 months per year, meaning the port will be able to handle approximately 53 vessels per month. The average monthly passenger flow from the green berth will be approximately 12,200 people, or 406 people per day (assuming the port operates daily)," said Dmitry Okorokov.
The passenger river port in Zavidovo will be able to take on some of the workload of the Northern River Port: “In just an hour—the travel time to Zavidovo from Moscow by car or train—you can board a boat and go on a cruise,” notes the chairman of the board of directors of Agranta Group (Zavidovo’s main investor). Sergey BachinWe are confident that the new port will stimulate a new influx of Russian and foreign tourists to the Tver region and will contribute to the development of domestic tourism in Russia.
As Sergei Bachin notes, the port of Zavidovo could become the starting point for river tourist routes down the Volga to Astrakhan, as well as for smaller excursion routes, such as those from the Ivankovskoye to the Rybinsk Reservoir, the Tver-Yaroslavl route, and so on. "The future port is immediately adjacent to developed tourist infrastructure, accommodation facilities, and tourist attractions. We will be able to revive the once-popular combined tourist routes, where tourists arrive at their destination (in this case, Zavidovo) by alternative means of transport, relax, explore the sights, and then transfer to water transport. Tourists will be able to visit places such as Vesyegonsk, a center of gastronomic and wine tourism; Kalyazin, a center for family recreation and children's tourist centers; and Kimry, a return to the Russian provinces, immersing themselves in the life of a 19th-century provincial Russian town. In Konakovo, guests can enjoy the Konakovo Riviera Resort Area Cultural Center. Tver offers a wealth of historical and cultural tourism opportunities (streets of the ancient city, art galleries and museums, and theater). The Zavidovo resort is a recreational tourism hub, offering a wide range of active leisure activities (water sports, golf, walks in the Zapovedny Forest, cycling, ATV riding, and a spa).
The Volga Sea cluster, which includes Zavidovo, "could become a project of national significance." Sergei Bachin notes that the project continues to develop rapidly: this season, the Yamskaya Hotel, built in a historical style, will open, and construction of a year-round indoor entertainment complex with a water park and other activities is also planned. Further road modernization is planned, and the prospects for creating railway tourist routes in the Tver Region are being discussed.
As a reminder, the Zavidovo resort is part of the Volga Sea cluster, whose project, based on the Rostourism review, ranked first among 69 applications from Russian regions for inclusion in the Federal Targeted Program. "This result was achieved thanks to our systematic approach: we view tourism as a comprehensive development objective for the entire economic sector, striving to address the development of a comprehensive range of issues, including accommodations and infrastructure," emphasizes Dmitry Okorokov.
The Zavidovo Special Economic Zone in the Tver Region is the only special economic zone for tourism and recreation in the Central Federal District. Investment in its development exceeds 12 billion rubles.
Source: trn-news.ru