Penza, 8 January 2016. PenzaNews. The creation of a safari park in Zarechny city of the Penza region will serve as an impulse for the city’s further development and the removal of its status as a closed administrative-territorial unit, proposed Alexei Kostin, deputy Minister of Industry and head of the regional ministry’s Business Development Department, after a ski trip through the Zarechny forest.

© PenzaNewsBuy the photo

“Met two adult elks and a bevy of roes practically on the ski track. If that many animals visit the ski tracks, then how many of them are there on the perimeter? Another confirmation of the idea to transform Zarechny into a safari park city,” the official wrote on his Facebook page.

Alexei Kostin added that “practically minuscule expenses to set up winter feeding zones and introduce red deers will grant us a splendid recreation zone in just three years.”

“It will immediately serve as an integral factor to accelerate economic growth in Zarechny. Obviously, all that will work only once the city’s closed status is lifted,” the deputy minister pointed out.

In his opinion, a safari park based in Zarechny will have four main advantages.

“Young and active people from all over the country will be choosing Zarechny as the place to have a family and settle for life. Indeed, it’s quite hard to find a city where you can go skiing merely 10 minutes away from home, and see deers and roes in their natural habitat,” he explained.

Moreover, as Alexei Kostin reminded, “the pond is always nearby when the summer heat beats down.”

“If we add in tax deductions for territories of priority social and economic development, an office and a production facility amidst the wildlife, many modern technology firms will seek to move to Zarechny,” the head of the Business Development Department believes.

He also stressed that “the safari park itself will become a powerful business unit, gathering plenty of other businesses around itself.”

For example, in his opinion, Penza tourism agencies will receive another reason to develop internal tourism.

“So, there’s quite a lot that can be done with the park, and currently we have a wonderful opportunity to test out the business capacity of our civil community, its capability to unite over a positive idea,” Alexei Kostimn said.

The official also admitted that his offer “seems to be ahead of its time.”

“But, personally, I have no knowledge of any other publicly announced community ideas to liven up the economic climate in our region, so I made a proposal myself. Obviously, this project alone would not do much, but if we awaken the stream of civil initiatives, create a flow of innovative ideas, set up a feedback channel between the citizens and the authorities to implement community proposals, we may achieve prosperity in the region of ours!” Alexei Kostin concluded.