Makhachkala, February 19, 2019. The republican Ministry for Tourism and Folk Arts and Crafts intends to develop and promote top 12 branded tourist routes popular with the guests and residents of Dagestan in 2019. This was announced yesterday, February 18, by the minister Rasul Ibraghimov at the regular government sitting chaired by the Prime Minister Artyom Zdunov.

According to Ibraghimov, the Ministry compiled a calendar of events which includes 150 positions compared with 87 ones in 2018. Among them there are the Interregional Winter Ice Climbing Festival in Matlas natural waterfalls on February 20 – 23 and the II International Gastronomic Festival Tourism Vizit Dagestan – 2019 in March.

Artyom Zdunov drew attention of ministry officers to the need of installing signs of tourist navigation and instructed to speed up the work in this direction. “The summer season begins two months earlier than in the central part of Russia. April and May are our competitive advantage” - the government press service quotes the prime minister.

As to Rasul Ibraghimov, the ministry works out suggestions on organization of bike races and new equestrian routes in a number of municipalities. The minister also noted the importance of creation of a tourist hub on branded tour routes, in the places of mass recreation and events location. In such places, first of all, it is necessary to install signs of tourist navigation and tourist parking. It is necessary to equip parking, food stations, sanitary rooms, to gentrify the surrounding area and access roads.

The sitting participants addressed the need for landscaping beach areas. “In other countries, the municipal beaches are in excellent condition, because private objects are located on the shore. In Dagestan they use the sea, but they don’t care about the condition of the beaches” - Zdunov noted. Nezir Guseynov, the chairman of the Architecture and Town Planning Committee of Dagestan, pointed out the need to create a Dagestan tourism brand, following the example of other regions and countries.

Summing up the meeting, the head of the Cabinet called to develop the infrastructure, to let the brand form over time - “This year we will announce a competition for roadside services and gentrify the beaches to make them more comfortable”.