Kavkaz.RF will present plans for the further development of tourism SEZs in the Caucasus at the Caucasus Investment Forum.

The creation of special economic zones (SEZs) is considered one of the most effective government support measures for business. The Development Institute Kavkaz.RF manages SEZ resorts at various stages of development, from the legendary Elbrus, with a tourist flow of approximately 800,000 people per year, to the Caspian Coastal Cluster, where infrastructure development has only just begun.

Participants in Kavkaz.RF's business sessions on key areas of the company's work will address the development of such projects, from finding investors to formalizing agreements and fulfilling obligations. The session on fine-tuning the SEZ regime will be held in collaboration with the relevant department of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. The results of this work will be presented at the exhibition; in particular, the Kavkaz.RF stand will be dedicated to the first full season of the new Mamison ski resort in North Ossetia.

In a separate section, experts will discuss import substitution and construction in mountainous regions. The session "Ski Sovereignty of the Country: Mission Possible" will bring together industry leaders such as Ruslet and the Sinara Group. Incidentally, Kavkaz.RF will exhibit key strategic Ruslet products—a fully domestically produced detachable ropeway clamp and a control and automation cabinet.

The business program will place special emphasis on personnel training. The session on this topic is entitled "Human Resource Potential for Tourism in the North Caucasus: How to Staff New Resorts." Kavkaz.RF is preparing it in collaboration with the Association for the Development of Human Resource Potential in the Tourism Industry of the North Caucasus Federal District.

The main idea of ​​the session is this: by 2030, the extensive recruitment process will be exhausted, and the demand for specialists in the Caucasus could reach 50,000. The only solution is to increase labor productivity through the implementation of lean manufacturing, digitalization, robotics, and the acquisition of new competencies. This complex path will be broken down into its most basic components by entrepreneurs—members of the Association and industry experts.

Kavkaz.RF's key creative cases will be featured in the creative industries session "Creators or Craftsmen?" They will be complemented by striking projects from across the country—Kermen Mandzhieva's "Smell Terra," a Kalmyk steppe-inspired scent; the Kubachi Combine as an art space for crafts from Dagestan; the "Platforma" urban development center from Nalchik; the "New Russian Cultural Code" channel; and others.

Traditionally, one of the forum's most vibrant platforms is the investor session, moderated by Andrey Tsemakhovich, First Deputy General Director of Kavkaz.RF. This year, it has an expressive title: "The North Caucasus—a Sleeping Giant for Investment. How to Awaken It?" As is traditional with previous forums, the discussion will focus on barriers facing investors, stereotypes and challenges, as well as the experiences of those who have successfully "awakened" the investment giant.

The forum's business program will be held on April 29-30 during the main days of the forum. A new feature of KIF-2026 will be special presentations by the heads of the North Caucasus Federal District regions and their teams, dedicated to the investment potential of each region.

The Kavkaz.RF delegation at the forum will be led by CEO Andrey Yumshanov. In addition to the business program, the development institute is preparing the central exhibition, which will feature the company's main projects in the form of a contemporary art gallery.

Kavkaz.RF is under the management of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak is the curator of the North Caucasus Federal District in the Russian Government.

Results of the Freeride World Tour Qualifier 3* at Elbrus.

The winners were participants who train at Elbrus as their home resort:

1st place: Kanamat Elkanov,

1st place: Sofia Vukovich,

3rd place: Kaisyn Uzdenov,

3rd place: Diana Zhapueva.

The Preobrazhensk Poultry Farm in Stavropol Krai has celebrated its tenth anniversary.

For eight of these years, the enterprise has been under the auspices of the Kavkaz.RF Development Institute. The corporation helped it overcome internal and external challenges, including finding additional funding, adjusting its business model, and diversifying its sales.

Today, the Preobrazhensk Poultry Farm is one of the largest agricultural complexes in the region. It produces over 30.5 million eggs annually, and its flock numbers nearly half a million. In 2020, the largest chicken egg production complex in Stavropol Krai was built here. Its design capacity allows it to supply high-quality products not only to Stavropol Krai but also to other regions of the North Caucasus Federal District.

In August 2025, compound feed production began at the farm. The new plant has a capacity of 15 tons of product per hour. This allows the company to completely eliminate the need to purchase feed for its own layers and chicks, and also generates a surplus of 300-400 tons per month, which the factory can then sell.

"This is the result of a comprehensive project we conducted together with the factory's management. As a result, we not only avoided bankruptcy but also modernized the entire production chain, introducing modern technologies and equipment for the full production cycle. The total investment amounted to 1.5 billion rubles. Of this, almost a billion was our own investment, and the rest was borrowed funds," explains Andrey Negovora, Director of the Investment Project Control and Monitoring Department at Kavkaz.RF.

The poultry farm currently includes four buildings with a capacity of 240,000 young birds, a commercial flock facility for 720,000 birds, an egg powder and mélange facility, an egg grading and storage facility, and a feed mill. The company plans to increase its poultry population to 800,000 by 2030, and its egg production to 200 million per year.

Two years ago, Kavkaz.RF revised its investment policy in favor of integrated management of selected investment projects. The Development Institute helps select the most appropriate government support measures and, most importantly, provides expertise on business strategy, analysis of potential markets, and further project development.

Kavkaz.RF will participate in the Abkhazia Economic Forum.

A new venue will open in Sukhumi on April 2-4 at the initiative of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. The Kavkaz.RF team, led by CEO Andrey Yumshanov, will share its experience in developing tourist areas within the framework of special economic zones (SEZs).

The main goal of the forum, "Abkhazia: Investments in the Future," is to develop economic cooperation, demonstrate investment potential, and strengthen foreign economic ties between Russia and the Republic of Abkhazia. The forum will not be limited to the Abkhazian capital; roundtables will also be held in the Ochamchira and Gudauta districts, giving forum guests a more comprehensive picture of the republic's potential. Discussions will cover the most pressing topics, including the role of the state in attracting investment, transport and logistics, agriculture, including viticulture and winemaking, and creative industries.

The decision to hold the forum was announced in early March during Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov's visit to Abkhazia. At a meeting with the republic's President, Badra Gunba, the Russian Minister of Economic Development emphasized the special nature of the bilateral relationship and their readiness to develop partnership. In turn, the President of Abkhazia announced the upcoming forum.

A cooperation agreement between Kavkaz.RF and the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Abkhazia is planned to be signed on the sidelines of the forum.

The Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation held a conference on "Current Safety Issues in Adventure Tourism in Russia." Aleksey Elin, Advisor to the General Director of Kavkaz.RF, delivered the keynote address.

Present in the hall were representatives of Alpindustria, the Russian Mountain Guides Association, Heliaction, Elbrus Expert, mountain camp managers, including the director of Bezengi, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and insurance and assistance companies.

The conference was national in scope, but the Caucasus dominated the agenda.

Elbrus Resort:

▪️ Provides infrastructure in the form of cable cars and the high-altitude Liprus Hotel

▪️ Builds an alpine village at an altitude of 3,900 m and restores the legendary "Shelter 11" at 4,100 m

▪️ Ensures safety not only on the slopes but also participates in emergency operations on the mountain

▪️ Promotes the site's Soviet heritage, including the birth of mountaineering in the 1930s

Furthermore, in collaboration with the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Elbrus National Park, and the Government of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, work is underway to expand the special economic zone, provide insurance for climbers, and introduce a permit system.

The resorts of Kavkaz.RF could welcome 4 million tourists by 2030.

During a roundtable discussion at the Federation Council on "Legislative and Economic Support for the Development of Special Economic Zones for Tourism and Recreation, as well as Individual Tourism Clusters," Nikolai Goncharov, Deputy General Director of the Kavkaz.RF Development Institute, announced that tourist flow to the Kavkaz.RF resorts could grow to 4 million people by 2030.

"Over the past 10 years, tourist flow to our resorts has increased more than sixfold, from 300,000 in 2015 to over 2 million by 2025. We expect this figure to double by 2030, as the resorts' infrastructure develops," Goncharov stated.

He also added: "Regarding the number of rooms, the resorts alone have grown from 1,000 to 4,000, and if we include nearby settlements, more than 10,000 rooms are already operational. We also expect that by 2030, the total number of rooms in hotels built by our residents will reach approximately 23,000."

On April 3, a press conference dedicated to the Caucasus Investment Forum 2026 will be held at the Stavropol Regional Information Center in Stavropol.

The event will cover key areas of the forum's program, economic development in the North Caucasus regions, and measures to improve the investment and business climate in Stavropol.

Kavkaz.RF, represented by Rustam Tapayev, Deputy General Director, will also join the event. Vladimir Zatynaiko, Deputy Director of the Roscongress Foundation and Director of the Caucasus Investment Forum, Alexander Klimov, General Director of the Stavropol Territory Development Corporation, and representatives of the bank will also participate in the press conference.

Elbrus is growing: Kavkaz.RF is developing the resort's mountaineering segment.

A conference entitled "Current Safety Issues in Adventure Tourism in Russia" was held in Moscow. Alexey Elin, Advisor to the General Director, delivered a presentation on behalf of the development institute. The event brought together key industry players: resort managers, mountain guides, climbers, rescuers, and representatives of insurance and assistance companies.

The conference aims to create a safer and more sustainable environment for adventure tourism in Russia and to facilitate the exchange of experience between industries. The organizers dedicated the first part to presentations, while the second was dedicated to expert networking to develop key points. Following the conference, the organizers announced the decision to make the conference an annual event.

The Caucasus, the region home to virtually all of the country's highest peaks, including Elbrus, dominated the agenda. Alexey Elin discussed the progress of the Elbrus resort's modernization, including what has been accomplished and what is planned for the coming years. He noted that the resort isn't directly involved in climbing, but de facto supports the mountaineering industry: it provides infrastructure such as cable cars and the Liprus high-mountain hotel, builds an alpine village at an altitude of 3,900 meters, and restores the legendary Priyut 11 high-mountain hotel at an altitude of 4,100 meters. Furthermore, the resort's team promotes the historical heritage of the area—it was here in the 1930s that Soviet mountaineering was born.

Conference participants particularly noted the work of the Elbrus rescue service. In addition to ensuring safety on the ski slopes, the resort's rescuers, in emergency situations, collaborate with the Elbrus High-Altitude Search and Rescue Team of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The recent helicopter evacuations of climbers from the Shkhelda and Bezengi walls were also discussed—cases that confirm the critical importance of professional rescue work at high altitudes, the availability of appropriate equipment, and the need for voluntary insurance policies covering sports risks.

A separate topic of discussion was the introduction of a permit system, climber insurance, and the establishment of rescue stations on the north face of Elbrus. The Kavkaz.RF team is conducting this work jointly with the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Elbrus National Park, and the Government of Kabardino-Balkaria.

"By the next mountaineering season, we intend to work with the professional community to develop a system for route permits and insurance—these are long-overdue issues. But we are approaching this carefully. It is important for us that any innovations are justified and do not create barriers for the industry," noted Alexey Elin.

The conference was organized by Save Pro Life, an online travel insurance service. Presentations were also given by representatives of the Russian Mountain Guides Association, the Russian Mountaineering Federation, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, tour operators AlpIndustry-Tour and Elbrus Expert, the Heliaction helicopter company, the UAL mountain club, the Savitar Group assistance company, and the Grebni travel club.

Key points from Rustam Tapaev's speech at the RBC press conference dedicated to the Caucasus Investment Forum:

▫️ Following two recent forums and one exhibition, the Caucasus Investment Forum (CIF) has concluded more than 230 cooperation agreements worth over 460 billion rubles.

▫️ At the 2025 CIF, an agreement was reached with Cosmos Hotel Group on joint tourism development and hospitality industry training in the North Caucasus regions. Result: Cosmos assumed management of high-mountain shelters on Elbrus (on April 20, Leaprus opened under the new brand Cosmos Elbrus Leaprus Camp).

▫️ Cooperation agreements with three Russian banks – Sberbank, Gazprombank, and Kuban Credit Bank. Result: financial institutions are increasingly lending to businesses in the Caucasus. While the share of bank capital in supported projects was zero in 2021, it accounted for over 35% in 2025, along with funds from project initiators.

▫️ Under the joint funding program with Sberbank for 2025, 18 new agreements totaling 693 million rubles were signed. Of this, Kavkaz.RF funds accounted for 173 million rubles. A total of 206 agreements totaling almost 8 billion rubles were signed under this program, of which Kavkaz.RF funds accounted for almost 2 billion rubles.

▫️ In 2024, agreements were signed for new hotels in the Caspian coastal cluster (the 5-star "Caspian Resorts-1" hotel, with a declared investment of 3 billion rubles).

▫️ The forum should be as beneficial as possible not only to large businesses and government officials, but also to the Caucasus business community – small and medium-sized businesses and youth.

▫️ The Kavkaz.RF stand will be the core of the exhibition. This year, it is designed as a mountain range and dedicated to Mamison, a new resort completing its first ski season. A real eco-trail will be created at the stand.

Russia and Abkhazia are launching a new stage in developing investment infrastructure.

A roundtable discussion entitled "The Role of the State in Supporting Investment Activity" was held in Sukhumi as part of the International Economic Forum "Abkhazia – Investments in the Future."

Representatives of the government of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation, development institutions, the banking and business communities, and potential investors participated in the discussion.

The Russian side was represented by Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Sergey Nazarov and General Director of Kavkaz.RF Andrey Yumshanov.

The key topic of the discussion was mechanisms aimed at creating conditions for increasing investment activity and launching new projects.

Sergey Nazarov noted that in recent years, joint work between Russia and Abkhazia has helped lay the foundation for the republic's further development. Social projects have been implemented, and transport and engineering infrastructure have been modernized.

"Today, Abkhazia has all the prerequisites for sustainable economic growth, including positive dynamics in key indicators and strong investor interest." The key task is not only to expand support measures, but to create clear and equal conditions for doing business. It's important to ensure transparent rules so that such measures can truly work and create incentives for long-term investment. This will help create a sustainable investment model and unlock the republic's economic potential, Sergei Nazarov emphasized.

Kavkaz.RF's experience in creating tourist SEZs is in demand in Abkhazia.

The "Abkhazia: Investments in the Future" economic forum is taking place against the backdrop of active development of Russian-Abkhaz relations and the implementation of joint investment projects. The forum was opened by Abkhazian President Badra Gunba, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergei Kiriyenko, and Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov.

The Kavkaz.RF delegation, led by Andrey Yumshanov, presented the state's work in developing the territories of the North Caucasus.

The CEO of Kavkaz.RF spoke about state support measures and the work being carried out in the North Caucasus Federal District jointly with the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, which has enabled the district to grow in key socio-economic indicators: "Investments in fixed capital have increased by 77%, gross regional product by 32%, and unemployment has almost halved. And all this in just five years!" We are ready to share our experience and participate in joint projects to help improve the investment environment in neighboring territories."

Khasan Timizhev, Executive Director of Kavkaz.RF, shared his experience of how tourism influences the region's economic development: "These aren't just new facilities—they are new jobs, new small businesses, increased incomes, population growth, and social well-being. And we are ready to provide Abkhazia with all the necessary assistance in addressing its most ambitious tourism infrastructure development goals."

In his response, Astamur Logua, moderator of the roundtable and Minister of Tourism of Abkhazia, praised the professionalism of the Kavkaz.RF team and expressed hope for further collaboration: "I hope we will implement many interesting projects together. It's very gratifying to see what you've already accomplished in the North Caucasus. We're very close here, but we need to get even closer."