Sochi 2014

Sochi was chosen by the IOC in July 2007 in Guatemala City to host the XXII Olympic Winter Games in February 2014. This means Russia will host the Winter Olympics for the second time (after Moscow in 1980). The popular Russian spa and seaside resort of Sochi (around 330,000 inhabitants) lies on the Black Sea, near the Georgian border. Around 1 million holidaymakers flock there each year during the season, making it the most popular summer holiday destination for Russians. The Winter Games will take place with the entire Krasnaya region involved.

President Putin's efforts, including 9.5 billion US dollars from the Russian state for development and billions in investment pledges from private businesses, helped Sochi beat its South Korean rival Pyeongchang. Salzburg, the third city in the selection process and already on its fourth Olympic bid, had no chance and had been eliminated at an early stage. Alongside the construction of sports venues, the massive investment will primarily make it possible to develop the infrastructure of the Sochi holiday region on the Black Sea. President Putin plans to develop Sochi into a sports centre. Also important is the tourism-focused development of sports infrastructure for alpine skiing in the Caucasus region of Krasnaya Polyana, adjacent to Sochi, which was part of Sochi's Olympic bid. Until now, tourism in Sochi has been concentrated solely on the summer season—but with the development of hotels and sports facilities over the next few years, that is likely to become a thing of the past.