Russia

Russia was not a very popular country among the local and foreign tourists. The reason was that foreign tourists perceive Russia “as a mysterious and dangerous destination and its two largest cities Moscow and St Petersburg have well-earned reputations as expensive places to visit.” As for the domestic tourism, its main flows were generally directed to such foreign countries as Turkey and Egypt. It is necessary to underline that tourism industry is very important for the economy of any country as it leads to the decrease in unemployment, elimination of poverty and influx of the foreign currency, which may be used to increase country’s federal reserves. This is the reason why Russian federal government has recently become concerned about the existing situation and launched a goal-oriented program to increase the flows of domestic and inbound tourism. The program plan was 5 years long and included the significant amount of federal investments into the tourism industry. The federal investments were also supported by several private and foreign investors. In fact, due to the upcoming event of the Olympic Games in Sochi, the amount of foreign direct investments in 2011 was unusually high. Many international hotel chains invested in the Russian tourism industry to attract customers that are already loyal to their brands in other countries. As a result, Russian tourism infrastructure was greatly improved. New hotels were built, the roads were reconstructed, the catering services were improved and, it is possible to say, that the whole industry was reborn.However, the main flow of the foreign direct investments was directed into the economy of the Russian Black Sea Coast, which is also often referred to as the Krasnodar region. The reason is that the future capital of the Olympic Games is located in this region, and the government made everything possible to improve the reputation of tourism industry in the region, which, in fact, has a very good potential. There is no wonder that the region received such significant amount of investments. The natural and economic conditions of the region over the last few years were favorable, and it was the most popular resort in Soviet times. Such cities as Sochi, Gelendzhik, Anapa, and Tuapse were very popular among Soviet tourists. The Krasnodar region was primarily popular because of its recreational potential. For example, mud in Sochi is a natural medicine for such diseases as internal secretion diseases, disorders of the digestive system, respiratory diseases and many others. The region has also a strong foundation for the development of the touristic infrastructure because it already has a developed hotel and public catering industries. Local restaurants in the Krasnodar region are popular because they offer unique local cuisine dishes and some of the hotels are very comfortable and offer a comparatively high level of service.However, despite the fact that the Krasnodar region currently has a significant competitive advantage that attracts federal and foreign investors, the aim of the region is to make its tourism industry sustainable. This plan may be implemented in …