General information | Industry | Foreign economic activities
Investment policy | Tourism

Tourism

In 2000 the industry faced the problem to increase tourism contribution to the economy of the republic, in particular at the account of new jobs growth, tax incomings in the republican budget, foreign currency inflow, preserving and rational utilizing of cultural and landscape heritage of the Republic of Karelia.

Republican tourist agencies served 237 thousand of tourists in 2000 (by 8% more than in 1999). The volume of tourist services has increased by 11%, the tourists' flow to the main tourists' sites has also increased. Real tax and other obligatory payments into the revenue of all levels from enterprises and organizations, carrying out only tourist activities, made up more than 8 mln rubles (114%).

In accordance with tourist development program, the Tourist Information Center is being worked out in the Republic of Karelia.

In 2000, the leading tourist agencies of the republic took part in the International Fair in Helsinki and permanently functioning exhibition in All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow First republican special exhibition "Tourist Karelia - 2000", dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the republic, has been prepared.

To prepare highly qualified staff for the tourist sector, the branches of Petrovsky college (St.Petersburg) and Russian Academy of Tourism (Moscow) were opened last year. First group of students graduated from Petrovsky college.

The TACIS project "Fishing tourism development on the river Hiittola" with 200 thousand EQU budget is being accomplished. The accomplishment of the TACIS project "Especially preserved territories in cross-border areas of the Republic of Karelia" creates good conditions for a very promising trend of tourism for the Republic of Karelia - traveling tourism.

One should mark the assistance of the administrations of local power bodies of the towns and districts of the republic in tourism business. Practically the work on the programs development in the towns and districts of the republic has been accomplished during a year.

In spite of positive tendencies in the tourism area, one should highlight that tourist potentials of the Republic of Karelia has not been used to the fullest so far.

The main factor hindering the tourist inflow growth is lack of developed infrastructure, especially hotels. The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Karelia and holding the Days of Moscow in the republic gave a clear picture of accommodation problems. In the republic there are 36 "one star" hotels and 6 "two star" hotels. That's why it's dramatically important to attract investment for the program of hotel development in the republic. Preference should be given to small hotels and complexes with full listing of tourist services, and also reconstruction of the hotels on the account of extrabudget means.

1999

General information | Industry | Foreign economic activities
Investment policy | Tourism