Sochi

The progress at the Olympic Village in Sochi has been very rapid.  The Village is near the beach, but a high speed rail is being built to connect it to the site of the Alpine events in Krasnaya Polyana.  When completed, it will take 25 minutes to travel between the two locations.  Krasnaya Polyana is also being constructed rapidly.  The entire valley is the site of many construction projects related to the Winter Olympics and tourism.  It is clear that Krasnaya Polyana will soon be a world class destination for winter sports enthusiasts.

Also, around the Olympic Village, Formula 1 Racing will be held starting in the summer of 2014.  At the same site, the Russians are building a new football stadium to accommodate the World Cup matches that will be held in Sochi.  There is a tremendous amount of activity and clearly the Russian government's efforts to bring major sporting events to Russia is spurring a lot of growth and development.

The Olympic Village is only a few kilometers from the border with Abkhazia.  As Tijuana and the beach zone south has developed due to its proximity to the American border, it is easy to foresee a similar pattern in Abkhazia,especially with its spectacular beauty.  It is very close to Sochi, which draws millions of Russian beach tourists and will soon host the Winter Olympics, Formula 1 Racing and World Cup Football.