The annual Turkish-Russian Business Council will be gathering in Sochi between September 17th and 22nd for the Seventh International Investment Forum. Numerous international investors and businessmen are expected to participate in several meetings and seminars, where some of them will also be making presentations on investment projects and prospects in the Russian Federation.
Mitry Kozak, the head of the Ministry for Regional Development of Russia announced that the cost of the 2014 Winter Olympics will be considerably less than it was declared. During a brief visit to Beijing he reportedly said that the sports equipment and infrastructural expenses would cost far less than was specified in their bid for the Olympics.
Regular flights between Sochi and Abkhaz Gagrami that were suspended in early 1990s were resumed on July 1st this year. With the ability to carry 189 passengers in one flight, it takes around 45 minutes for these carriers to reach Abkhazia. It should cost you 1200 rubles for a business class ticket while an economy class ticket is available at 800 rubles. Thus, this puts the Georgian and Arkhas conflict to rest.
Latvia’s airBaltic airline will start nonstop flights from Riga to Sochi later this month, Latvian Transport Minister Ainars Slesers said Saturday.
The first flight to Sochi is scheduled for June 18. The airline already flies to St. Petersburg and Moscow.
The Presidents of the Olympic Committees of Russia and Georgia discussed the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi at the Twelfth International Economic Forum in St Petersburg, which opened on June 7.
Russian Olympic Committee president Leonid Tyagachev said he hoped Georgian and Russian athletes could prepare for the Olympics together in an effort to improve bilateral relations. “I think that two young and nice presidents…will make the right decision,” Tyagachev said.
“It is important for us to cooperate and hold competitions on both Georgian and Russian territory. We will be able to unite through the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014 and do a beautiful thing,” Tyagachev said.
Still six years to go, officials in this Black Sea resort are concerned about Olympics 2014, as Moscow faced criticism last month, when the capital’s hotels struggled to manage an influx of 40,000 football fans for the Champions League final.
Sochi officials have pledged an extra 35,000 hotel rooms in the next few years. “We are sure we won’t have the same problems as Moscow, plenty of available and affordable rooms is a priority,” said Yelena Pavlovich, head of the city administration’s hotel development department.
Prestigious Russian film festival Kinotavr kicks off in Sochi tonight. Famous film director Aleksei German will be presented a special award for outstanding artistic contribution to the development of Russian cinema art, in the opening ceremony. On June 15 at the closing ceremony, Armen Medvedev will be awarded for outstanding contribution to the development of Russian cinema art and film science.
Russian tour operators say the tourists visiting Sochi this year are less compared to other resorts in Krasnodar Region. The building sites and Olympics 2014 construction traffic jams are keeping the tourists away. It is very contradicting, considering the fact that the Olympics work has not yet started and traffic jams are lesser compared to 2007. Another reason for Sochi’s decreasing popularity - a holiday here is around 1.5 times more expensive than the neighbouring resorts.
OJSC Airline “Siberia”, working under brand S7 Airlines, renews seasonal flight from St. Petersburg to Sochi. Flights will operate till end of September, 2008.
Students from universities in St. Petersburg will work in the tourism sector during the Sochi Olympics-2014 - said Sergei Krylov, Executive Director of the National Academy of Tourism. He noted that “legal bind” of graduates for the domestic tourism industry would help attract staff to work at the Olympics in 2014 in Sochi. Currently Tourism is being taught to about 3500 students in St. Petersburg and most of them usually leave to work abroad.
Tourism component of the Olympics in Sochi would need about 30 thousand professionals and it is clear that Krasnodar region itself cannot offer so many people - stressed S. Krylov. Students from St. Petersburg and Legislative consolidation would give additional impetus for the formation of volunteers to work at the Olympics
