Bringing South Tyrolean expertise to North Caucasus

The reason for the delegation’s visit was to draw on South Tyrol’s expertise in the fields of tourism and alpine technologies

How do our local ski resorts manage to operate economically, be innovative, and compete on an international level? And what expertise plays a crucial role in this regard? A delegation led by the Russian Minister of North Caucasus Affairs, Lev Kuznetsov, investigated these questions and, with the rapid developments taking place in North Caucasus in mind, paid a visit to the Plan de Corones holiday region in South Tyrol to gain an impression of the tourism industry there.

Thirteen Russian representatives from politics, business and tourism, including the governors of the autonomous North Caucasus republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, expressed an interest in the South Tyroleans’ expertise in winter tourism.

“We are the world’s only comprehensive supplier of winter technology. We provide lift systems, snow grooming vehicles and snowmaking equipment. When everything can be obtained from a single source, that brings with it a lot of synergies, especially when winter tourist resorts are redeveloped, as will be the case in the Russian growth market in the coming years,” explains Werner Amort, President of PRINOTH, representing the LEITNER Group. The example of the Plan de Corones holiday region demonstrates that, for some time now, mountain tourism has no longer only been limited to the winter months. “Our customers’ requirements are increasing and go far beyond just skiing. We sell an experience, which includes additional services and offers as well as the pistes. With the MMM Corones, we have taken an important step toward becoming a year-round tourist destination,” explains Andrea Del Frari, Director of Skirama Kronplatz - Plan de Corones.

The reason for the delegation’s visit was to draw on South Tyrol’s expertise in the fields of tourism and alpine technologies, because both the climate and the landscape in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia are similar to the conditions in South Tyrol. Although agriculture is the dominant economic sector, tourism is considered one of the main growth markets.