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Tourism

Tourist business is based on the republican target program "Tourism development in the Republic of Karelia for 2000-2002". The program is under discussion at the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia,.

According to the data on January 1, 2000 60 republican firms are in the international tourist business. 47 are certificated and guarantee tourist service safety.

On the whole in 1999 tourist firms made services for 220 thousand tourists, that is 8 thousand more than in 1998. The number of Russian tourists has grown rapidly (from 47% up to 64%). Tourist-excursion service volume 1,6 times increased and made 66,5 mln rbl.

To make the management more constructive the reorganization was conducted. The former direction of a unique Valaam archipelago territory into government historic-cultural and environment protection institution "Valaamsky archipelago" submitted to the State committee of sport and tourism of the Republic of Karelia. The Natural park "Valaamsky archipelago" was created, it is supposed to improve the tourist activities on Valaam.

A number of programs interesting from the perspective of ecological and tourist development were prepared "Ladozhsky scerries", "Zaonezhsky" è "Karelian shore".

There were prepared some amends to the Law of the Republic of Karelia "About tourism", proposals to increase tourist going trough check in point "Soulerya".

To attract investments to the tourism section of the republic the investment project data base is being made. The proposals on material tourist base development are also being accumulated.

The main project "Tacis" "Cross-border tourism development in the Russian part of Euro-Arctic region" is adopted by the Commission of Europarliament in October 1999. The budget of the project makes 1,1 mln EQU. Now the Direction of the project is being formed. The implementation of the project will be started in the II quarter of 2000.

To advertise and promote the Karelian tourist product in the Russian and international tourist market the State Committee on sport and tourism of the Republic of Karelia and the leading tourist firms of the republic participated in the international trade fairs "Matka- 99" in Helsinki (Finland), "MITT-99" in Moscow and "INWETEX- 99" in St. Petersburg, and also prepared the layout "Karelia is the land of tourism" for the exhibition "Karelia-99", held on April 6-7, 1999 within the framework of the Days of the Republic of Karelia in Moscow. The tourist potential of the Republic of Karelia was presented at the General Assembly of Cross-Border Association of Europe (26 countries participated) held on September 15-17 in Finland and also at the International Forum " Development of cultural tourism in Central Russia", held on October 8-10 in Yaroslavl. The layout for the permanent exhibition on tourism "The Republic of Karelia" was prepared on the territory of All-Russian exhibition center

A tourist map "The Republic of Karelia for travellers", was published; the tourist guide on Vepsskaya national volost is being prepared. Two advertising tours about the Republic of Karelia by the representatives of the Finnish mass-media and the advertising tour under participation of 10 leading tourist agencies of Moscow and television company TV-6 were held.

The work on non-stop united educational system in tourism is going on. The north-western affiliate of Russian Academy of tourism is opened in Petrozavodsk. 14 persons graduated from the Baltic International Institute of Tourism and KarelNOK majoring in "management in tourism". During this academic year about 300 future specialists in tourism are being taught.

General information | Industry | Foreign relation activities | Tourism