Russians are increasingly choosing Chechnya as a travel destination, with the number of trips to the republic rising by 15% over the past year. This is according to a joint study by the mobile operator MegaFon and the online booking service Ostrovok, which focuses on tourism in regions with a distinct cultural character.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with North Ossetia Head Sergei Menyailo in the Kremlin. The main topic of discussion was the republic's socioeconomic progress.
Menyailo highlighted positive trends: growth in the gross regional product, an influx of investment, as well as successes in industry (including agriculture), deep processing, logistics, and tourism.
Vladimir Putin, in turn, drew attention to the acute unemployment problem: in North Ossetia, the rate is three times higher than the national average. Menyailo confirmed the employment challenges and outlined plans to address them. These include the construction of a transport and logistics hub ("dry port") for 90 million units of goods. The facility will create 8,500 jobs. Furthermore, a basalt fiber production plant is expected to open; construction will begin this year, Menyailo noted.