The sphere of recreation and tourism has been developing actively in recent years in Karelia. Before the new tourist season starts, leaders of this branch together with authorities hold a conversation on readiness for reception of visitors and organization of departure of people leaving the republic for their vacations. Before the May Day holidays traditional session of Coordination Council on Tourism took place in the Government. The Deputy Prime Minister of the Government, the Council Chairman Alexander Kolesov presided at the session.
- Tourism in Karelia today progresses faster than on the average in Russia, - the vice-premier has noted. - From cultural and cognitive it has turned into economic branch in which thousands people are occupied. This sphere creates now about 10% of total regional product. We shall work for increasing this share.
On the other hand, development of tourism promotes improvement of image of the republic that affects attraction of investments into other branches. Let us say, there comes a banker to ride a boat, falls in love with our region, and next time he comes to invest in the industry, development of the same camp site where it had already been to.
The Deputy Minister of Economic Development Evgeny Kotkin started his speech with brief summarizing of the last year’s results. He has noted, that positive dynamics of the branch development was kept. By expert judgment, income of all kinds of entrance tourism in the republic in 2006 has made 3,2 billion roubles, that is 11.4% more than last year. During this period of time the number of visitors has grown by 100 thousand people, the total number of visitors made 1,7 million people. Thus, the number of tourists and sightseers achieved 440 thousand people. The volume of unappropriated investments into tourism infrastructure has grown from 450 million roubles to 470 million roubles.
The flow of tourists to the basic sights of Karelia increased considerably. More than 177 thousand tourists visited Kizhi open-air museum. It is the highest result in all years. Number of visitors of Valaam archipelago islands remained at the level exceeding limiting recreational loading. 96 thousand people visited there, and Kivatch reserve received over 65 thousand people.
According to Evgeny Kotkin, key problem of the branch is perfection of tourist infrastructure. The number of beds available in newly constructed and reconstructed means of accommodation has made a little less than 600. Last year two new hotels opened in Petrozavodsk, the fourth turn of recreation department Village Aleksandrovka, Yakkima hotel and Karlen hotel in Lahdenpohja region, Uya recreation department in Prionezhsky region and a number of other objects were commissioned.
This year construction of 130-room Onego Palace and 145-room Peter hotel complexes in the capital of Karelia proceeds. Travel agency of the White Sea-Onega Shipping Company is launching a project of constructing a new hotel complex on 100-120 beds, reconstruction of river station building and construction of a conference hall there on 150-180 places and offices, adjoining land improvements, construction of a guest mooring line for reception of up to 300 yachts in the water area adjoining quay near Frigate hotel. Within a year objects of accommodation in regions of the republic will be prepared to receive visitors.
This year is supposed to invest more than 500 million roubles in development of tourism infrastructure of Karelia. Of course, it promotes increase of the population employment. Number of workplaces in tour agencies, means of collective accommodation and recreation institutions has already made 2150, and last year has grown by 7.5%.
One of the major elements of preparation for a new tourist season is joint activity of the Ministry of Economic Development of the republic, information and tourist center of the RK and tourist agencies on participation in international and inter-regional tourist exhibitions. For the period from the end of the last year and till today Karelia has been presented at exhibitions in England, Germany, Finland, St.-Petersburg, Moscow and Vologda. Number of concluded contracts has exceeded the planned number. In the beginning of March Petrozavodsk hosted Karelia Open to the World! tourist forum, within the scope of which Karelia the Tourist 2007 specialized exhibition and a training conference were held. In the end of April in the capital of the republic there has passed the fifth Hunting and Fishing 2007 specialized exhibition.
The important mechanism of state support of the branch is its scientific maintenance. Tourist activity in the republic strategy development, spatial planning of tourism development, formation of tourist claster recently became the main themes of fundmental scientific researches. Government order of the RK for development of a general scheme of arrangement of objects and tourism infrastructure in the republic was placed in April on a competitive basis. In work on the Scheme itis supposed to introduce spatial aspect of investment policy in tourism in view of multiplicate effect, definition of principles and conditions of territorial arrangement of objects of tourist, industrial and transport infrastructure. As a result, businessmen will have an opportunity to purchase the ground areas and coordinate all procedures within a week.
Evgeny Kotkin has also noted, that lots of attention is paid to professional training for the tourist industry, including by organization of educational establishments, exit seminars and conferences. In prospect there are creation of centers for training experts in remote regions. Possibility of participating in TACIS project on creation of educational center in Louhi region is studied now. Creation of tourist information centres in cities and regions of the republic proceeds.
At the session of Coordination Council major tasks to be completed in 2007, as well as actions directed on optimum use of available resources have been stated. In particular, it is necessary to develop and accept the Development of Tourism in the RK in 2007-2010 budgetary target program, municipal tourism development programs, develop general scheme of arrangement of objects and tourism infrastructure in the republic, continue preparation of investment sites for construction of objects of tourism. Matters concerned perfection of state regulation system of tourism development in Karelia under conditions of introducing mechanism of financial guarantees for tour operators, new requirements on migratory registration of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation, expansion of border zone in the territory of the republic, involving powerful potential resource of tourist inter-season period, and safety of tourists. Increasing independent tourist appeal of the capital of Karelia is a special issue. Within the past three years number of calls of cruise steam-ships to Petrozavodsk mad only 15-17% from total calls to Kizhi. The basic problem to be worked over by the city administration and tourist agencies is absence of original and attractive tourist programs in the capital of the republic, competitive tourist product capable to cause economic interest of cruise tour operators.
As a whole representatives of the branch intend this year to increase organized entrance tourist flows by 12%, and cumulative gross revenue from all kinds of entrance tourism - by 11.8%. Growth of volumes of unappropriated investments into tourism infrastructure is supposed to make 6.4%. As they say, time will tell.
Nail Shabiev
http://www.gov.karelia.ru
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