After the World Cup is before the World Cup: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin watched the final Germany against Argentina in Rio de Janeiro and announced the start of preparations for the next FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia with billionaire investments in infrastructure and tourism.

The world cup should become a boost for the tourism. Just for the World Cup 62 new hotels will be built in the eight game venue cities. In total 103 new top hotels will arise in Russia. This data has been revealed by TOPHOTELPROJECTS, the worldwide leading provider of global b2b hotel data.

Only in Moscow currently 29 new top hotels are under construction. The Four Seasons (right) close to the Manezhnaya Place is the latest hotel highlight. The famous Hotel Moskva from the 1930s was refurbished into a modern luxury hotel – the reopening is scheduled for the end of October.

Another high class property in Moscow will be the Mandarin Oriental (217 rooms) which will open its doors in 2016.

In total 14 billion Euros will be invested in Russia for the FIFA World Cup in 2018. Among others, the money is needed for nine new building stadiums and the refurbishments of three stadiums within eleven game venue cities (two arenas in Moscow).

The investment is also used for 113 training centers and eleven airports. Furthermore faster rail connections through the country are planned.

For incoming tourists the visa regulations will be loosed. Owners of a regular game ticket can travel between the venues cities via busses and trains for free.

The next FIFA World Cup will take place from the 8th June until the 8th July 2018 in Russia. Venue cities among others are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Kaliningrad.

In Brazil investments in hospitality continue. In 2016 the Olympic Summer Games will take place in Rio de Janeiro. In the glitter metropolis currently nine new hotels with about 2,000 rooms are in the pipeline, thereof a luxury hotel by the Trump Collection with 171 rooms.