Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

these organizations sold 32,400 tour packages in 2016 (23,800 in Astrakhan, 7,800 in Dagestan and 800 in the Republic of Kalmykia). Fishing and hunting are the main tourism purpos- es in Astrakhan Oblast, though these activities are contributing to the depletion of natural resources. State policies have therefore been developed to di- versify the sector, through aiming to develop other types of tourism, including educational, ecological, therapeutic, health-improving and gastronomic tourism. In the Volga-Caspian basin (Astrakhan Oblast) tourism in recent years has been narrowly developed around fishing and as a result is directly dependent on fish stocks (Astrakhanstat 2018b). In the Republic of Dagestan, state policy aims to develop recreational marine and mountain tour- ism (including sports, health and educational tourism). Fishing and hunting tourism are also in development and a tourist and recreational complex – Agrakhan-Kaspiy – is being estab- lished to facilitate this (Russian Federation, Re- public of Dagestan 2013). In the Republic of Kalmykia, tourism develop- ment is not a priority, though the region is estab- lishing an educational and ethnographic tourism

infrastructure (Russian Federation, Republic of Kalmykia 2013) The Government of Turkmenistan supports and financially participates in major programmes to develop the tourism industry in the Caspian re- gion, with a special emphasis on beach tourism and, in the future, ecotourism. The region is attractive for investment not only in terms of its raw materials and production ca- pacity, but also its potential for general tourism and health resort and spa tourism development. A present, tourism is a strategic priority for Turk- menistan in developing its national economy. Since gaining independence, the coast of the Cas- pian Sea has become a national resort and tourist area. In July 2007, the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, signed a decree on the creation of the Avaza NTZ in order to develop tourism, promote investment, create jobs and im- prove the quality of tourist services in the country. Avaza NTZ has a special place in the country’s strategic plans for the coming decades and will be developed with advanced architecture engineer- ing. The value of the facilities being built in this zone currently amount to more than US$1.5 bil-

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