Turkmen president: Companies in Avaza tourism zone enjoy tax breaks
By Aynur Jafarova
Local and foreign companies operating in the Avaza national tourism zone located in the east side of the Caspian Sea enjoy tax and duty privileges, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov was quoted by the local media as saying.
The investors who place their funds in the construction of healthcare facilities, the hotel business and the service sector enjoy the same privileges, the Turkmen president said at a meeting.
He went on to say that high demand for environmental security and environmental protection is of great importance in the design, construction and exploitation of facilities on the Caspian coast.
Berdymukhamedov said that by establishing modern tourism infrastructure in Avaza, Turkmenistan establishes a basis for further development of the tourism industry, which is considered to be an important and profitable sector of the national economy.
The project on the development of Avaza will continue until 2020.
"The cost of the facilities built and those under construction has exceeded $2 billion," the Turkmen leader said.
According to him, several hotels and multi-recreational centers meeting the highest standards in hospitality service will be built and commissioned by the year-end in Avaza.
The tourism industry has special importance in Turkmenistan's strategic plans, and the Avaza resort may be an example in this respect.
The construction of the Avaza national tourism zone began about five years ago upon an initiative of President Berdymukhamedov.
Turkmenistan has announced a number of international tenders for the construction of venues and facilities at the site. According to official figures, Turkmenistan's investments already amount to over $1.5 billion.
A new airport, a power station, desalination and water treatment plants have already been built and a number of spa facilities are regularly put into operation in Avaza, mainly by Turkish companies.
The second stage of the construction work in Avaza envisions the construction of a water park, a yacht club, an aquarium, an indoor ski complex, a cycle track and a casino.
The historic Silk Road crosses Turkmenistan. The country is rich in folk culture, has various natural landscapes and unique archaeological sites, including Ancient Nisa, Merv and Kunyaurgench as well as Gonurdepe, the centre of the Margiana civilization, and the ancient Dekhistan, which has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.
The foothills of Kopet Dagh, flora and fauna of the Karakum desert, the bank of the Amu Darya river, Koytendag and the subtropical areas of south-western Turkmenistan are a godsend for lovers of ecological tourism.
New tourist routes will also be laid following the creation of the North-South railway corridor, which is being built jointly by Turkmenistan, Iran and Kazakhstan, and is designed to link countries in Europe and South Asia via the shortest route possible.
Experts believe that tourism development could boost Turkmenistan's revenues.
They say the Central Asian state needs to remove obstacles for visitors and tourists, such as obtaining a visa, which is said to be very difficult there.
The first-ever International Tourism Congress of Turkmenistan is scheduled in Avaza in September 2013.