Tourism Resorts and Oil Exploration in the Caspian Sea

Global Intelligence Report ^ | 06/10/2010 | Gregory Copley

[bananaman22]

SITUATION: One indirect consequence of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the impact it may have on the financing of the many tourism projects that have sprouted along the Caspian Sea. Bordered clockwise from the North by Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia, the Caspian Sea is one of the largest bodies of water and an object of strategic ambitions. Though the global financial crisis put may grandiose Caspian Sea tourism projects on hold, some of them are coming back to life, but investors should be alert to tourism trends, corruption, and unanswered questions about demand and potential profit.

ANALYSIS: The magnitude of the consequences of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is still hard to assess, even more so as there is no consensus as to the exact quantity of oil left in the water: The government says 25% while other organizations, such as the University of Georgia, say 75%.

Tourism Industry Hit Hard: Beyond the ecological disaster and its long-term effects, the economic disaster is being felt by the tourism industry, which is seeing a drop in occupancy rates, though the data were temporarily distorted by the high level of emergency crews sent to the area to work on clean-up operations. President Obama swimming in the water of Panama City with his daughter to show that waters are safe is good marketing but will not suffice to erase the disturbing images of pollution seen for months by potential American and foreign tourists. His statement made a few days before the BP disaster that offshore drilling was safe will remain in cyberspace long enough to haunt him and any leader that approves such drillings. Full article at: Oil Exploration

[cardinal4]

I read a novel where terrorists derived enough “dirty” material for a crude nuke device by collecting it from northern Caspian Sea beaches, where H bombs were tested by the Soviets. I went back and looked and sure enough that whole section of the continent, much less the area mentioned here, is one big toxic waste dump.Parts of former Soviet occupied lands are industrial wastelands..