Akhmetzhan Yessimov. Photo by Vladimir Dmitriyev©
The idea of creating a ski resort at Kok-Zhailyau has got opponents in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Almaty Akim (Mayor) Akhmetzhan Yessimov as saying at the annual meeting with the citizens. “There are people who oppose the project and this is quite normal. Big attention of the society makes this project more transparent. We want the community to take part,” Yessimov said. He reminded that Austria, Italy and Switzerland saw similar negative reactions 50 years ago. “And now they can hardly imagine themselves without this industry (tourism), as this is their important source of profits and jobs and is their most environmentally-friendly industry,” the Akim said. Besides, Yessimov stressed that the city administration had started preparing for the Universiade-2017, i.e. building the Ice Palace for 12 thousand seats, the Ice Arena for 3 thousand seats and the Athletic Village for 5 thousand people as well as hotels. The plan is to turn the Athletic Village into a modern student campus later on. According to the administration, around 600 thousand people received services in tourist industry in Kazakhstan's Almaty in 2012. Almaty was visited by 450 thousand tourists, which is 12.6 percent more than in 2011. 350 million tenge ($2.3 million) have been allocated for development of the concept of Kok-Zhailyau ski resort in Almaty. Construction of the infrastructure requires 700 million tenge ($4.7 million). Private investors will invest 2.1 billion tenge ($14 million) into construction of the facilities. By Daniyar Bozov
The idea of creating a ski resort at Kok-Zhailyau has got opponents in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Almaty Akim (Mayor) Akhmetzhan Yessimov as saying at the annual meeting with the citizens.
“There are people who oppose the project and this is quite normal. Big attention of the society makes this project more transparent. We want the community to take part,” Yessimov said.
He reminded that Austria, Italy and Switzerland saw similar negative reactions 50 years ago. “And now they can hardly imagine themselves without this industry (tourism), as this is their important source of profits and jobs and is their most environmentally-friendly industry,” the Akim said.
Besides, Yessimov stressed that the city administration had started preparing for the Universiade-2017, i.e. building the Ice Palace for 12 thousand seats, the Ice Arena for 3 thousand seats and the Athletic Village for 5 thousand people as well as hotels. The plan is to turn the Athletic Village into a modern student campus later on.
According to the administration, around 600 thousand people received services in tourist industry in Kazakhstan's Almaty in 2012. Almaty was visited by 450 thousand tourists, which is 12.6 percent more than in 2011.
350 million tenge ($2.3 million) have been allocated for development of the concept of Kok-Zhailyau ski resort in Almaty. Construction of the infrastructure requires 700 million tenge ($4.7 million). Private investors will invest 2.1 billion tenge ($14 million) into construction of the facilities.
By Daniyar Bozov