The team's report:

Sochi Airport

It certainly is no longer a cow shed with Xray  machines. It is now a sophisticated terminal, efficient and of international standards. There were queues, but no more than any other international airport. The airport would benefit from better signage.

The first thing you notice is the massive building programme of new roads, railway, hotels etc. It is just one big massive building site and there is a permanent dust cloud from building materials in the air.

We stayed at the Marins Park Hotel, which has definitely moved up a star. Excellent service, very good rooms and centrally situated.

But traffic into the centre is horrendous, only one way in and one way out. Allow at least an hour and half journey time for the thirty minute drive to the airport and apparently if Putin or Medvedev is in town all roads are blocked off in the ‘chaika’ lane style of Soviet Russia, this happens quite often.

Certainly there are a lot more restaurants and bars which are coping with today's visitors but there will be a lot more needed for 2014. They are not cheap but quality is good.

A visit to the Ice Cluster showed a hive of activity in stadium and infrastructure building but obviously a lot more work here for providers of catering, medical, retail and other consumer outlets, as well as consumer goods.

Up to Krasnaya Polyana,

There seems to be several different ways to get onto the highway to Krasnaya Polyana and construction is very much work in progress on the roads as well as buildings enroute. Evidence was also seen of an alternative road being built on the other side of the red valley. Plus the railway link between the ice cluster and ski areas of Krasnaya Polyana is being built above the river on a viaduct.

There are hotel complexes being constructed and indeed already built along the route. At the end there is a very impressive village of different types and style of  buildings and a lovely replica railway station. From the village here the ski lifts go up the ski slopes and jumps.

A terrace bar and restaurant is already open and operating in the village and a welcome drink was enjoyed to settle the building dust in ones throat (any excuse!)

A little further down the Valley  we stopped for lunch at the Katerina Hotel and restaurant for a very nice lunch and a Czech beer,  on the summer terrace.

Back in the centre of Sochi the seafront is stuck in a time warp and reminiscent of Blackpool or Southend 30 years ago. The beach is made up of boulders and when we asked if they would change it for sand we were told the hot stones provided an excellent warm massage treatment and there is no real enthusiasm by the locals to change them.

Still there  is over two years left and the pace of change there seems to be rapidly happening.

Despite the fact that English as been declared joint language with Russian there is still a considerable lack of service personnel who can speak English.

Our conclusions are everything looks good and is on time for completion in 2013 (a year before the opening in 2014), but there is still an abundance of work for British companies to get out there and sell. British goods, services and expertise are all needed.

The Russia House can provide necessary visas and supports and introductions to the local chamber and its members.

New Railway Station at Krasnaya Polyana The Russia House