While the country is fighting off the Russian invasion at the east of Ukraine, a £1.2 billion ski resort is being built in the west close to the border with Poland.
The construction of the GORO Mountain ski resort has started in the Lviv region, which will build 25 hotels, 5,500 rooms stretching across a total area of 2,965 acres, with 41 46.6-mile-long ski slopes with 846 acres of snow cove, over 10 miles of ski lifts, two modern gondola lifts and 11 chairlifts.
Construction started in October and the first phase of construction is scheduled to be completed for 2028-2029.
OKKO Group CEO, Vaysl Danylyak said in a statement: “The construction of the first hotel complex is a strategically important stage in the implementation of the holistic concept for an international year-round holiday resort.”
“GORO will become one of the largest recreational infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, which will affect the state’s position in the European tourism arena.”
The completion of the project is expected to take 15 years.
About £800 million for the project will come from investors like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs, OKKO will reportedly invest about £400 million in the project.
The massive development will include five hotel complexes, plus a variety of recreational amenities such as a spa, swimming pools, restaurants, and areas for children and business activities.
The GORO Mountain Resort project, initially proposed in 2017, was set to begin in spring 2022 but was delayed due to the Russian invasion.
OKKO Group is the biggest network of gas stations in Ukraine and has partnered with world-class experts, including ILF Group, known for their work on ski resort expansions at the Remarkables in New Zealand and Pitztal-Ötztal in Austria, as well as snow-making infrastructure at Austria’s largest resorts like Sölden, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, St. Anton, and Kitzbühel.
Danylyak added: “These are strategic investments in the recovery and future of Ukraine. We do see the prospect, even despite the challenges of war, and understand the importance of such ambitious projects for the social and economic development of Lviv region.
“The new mountain recreational project should become a magnet for Ukrainian and foreign tourists and potential investors, putting a modern Ukrainian mountain location on the tourist map of Europe.
“GORO Mountain Resort will be a place not only for active recreation but also for health improvement and psychological rehabilitation.”