Mt Elbrus closed for tourists indefinitely
The regional government in the North Caucasus has announced a ban on access of tourists, mountaineers and skiers in Mount Elbrus-the 5,642meters highest peak in Europe-for indefinite period.
The European regional prohibition has been imposed after an armed terrorist gang attacked the minibus with skiers from Moscow onboard and directed at a hotel in the area dell’Elbrus, two week ago.
Mt. Elbrus, 18,510 Feet
It is reported that at least three were killed and other two injured in the attack.
A few days later, the attackers hurl a bomb on a cable car. One of the cabins is blown by the bomb, fortunately without any human casualties. This was followed by riots and attacks on public venues, which have sparked a real manhunt and led the authorities to take heavy security measures.
Following the attacks, the North-Caucasus Federal District has called all the ski resorts to close dell’Elbrus and tourists to return home until the last anti-terrorism operation in the Caucasian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. The authorities have also resorted ban on new arrivals in the region.
The mountains of this region are visited by 5,000 tourists a year and the objective of local government, supported by Moscow, is to boost tourism, which already is the main economic activity in the area. In this sense, is also the choice to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in nearby Sochi, where Russia is making record investments.
Concerns about security at the event, however, continue to rise partly because it is clear that the goal of terrorists is precisely to boycott the Moscow plans to increase tourism, although this activity is helping the growth and employment Local.
