UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai Rifai addressed four points which he deemed imperative for the growth of tourism in Kyrgyzstan. They are visa regime/air links; infrastructural development; the seasonality of destinations; and promotion of the country (i.e., building the brand of Kyrgyzstan.

The Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai visited Kyrgyzstan earlier this week. At his meetings with Kyrgyzstan’s top officials and representatives of tourism associations a variety of issues were discussed, including Kyrgyzstan’s membership in the UNWTO and its grant programs. Kyrgyzstan joined the UNWTO in 1993.

On June 7, Taleb Rifai attended the third meeting of tourism ministers of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, held in the resort city of Cholpon-Ata at Lake Issyk-Kul.

According to Rifai, the tourism industry accounts for around 10% of global GDP, and due a multiplier effect it creates additional jobs in related industries. Travel and tourism generated 10% of global GDP and created 277 million jobs (1 in every 11 jobs) for the global economy last year. Recent years have seen travel and tourism growing at a faster rate than other significant sectors such as the automotive industry, financial services and healthcare.

International tourist arrivals also surged, reaching nearly 1.2 billion. International tourist arrivals also surged, reaching nearly 1.2 billion, UNWTO General Secretary said. Visitors from emerging economies now represent a 46% share of international arrivals, proving the growth and increased opportunities for travel in new markets.

Kyrgyzstan’s development prospects

To effectively develop tourism in Kyrgyzstan, it is necessary to invest in it, improve the transport infrastructure and quality services for tourists. These problems are difficult to solve at the same time with limited financial resources, but UNWTO is ready to render Kyrgyzstan necessary advice and assistance, UNWTO Secretary-General said.

Rifai addressed four points which he deemed imperative for the growth of tourism in Kyrgyzstan. They are visa regime/air links; infrastructural development; the seasonality of destinations; and promotion of the country (i.e., building the brand of Kyrgyzstan).

According to Stiphan Beher, Chairman of the Tourism Committee for the International Business Council based in Bishkek and a member of the Working Group on Tourism Strategy at the Tourism Department under the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism, it was advised that these points be addressed as part of the strategy presented to the Prime Minister.

“But what needs to be addressed is the need for a stronger voice for tourism in the shape of having a stand-alone Tourism Ministry with an appropriate operating budget. The current 7 million som budget is insufficient,” Beher believes. To that Mr. Rafia advised that WTO member states allocate an average 1% of tourism revenues, which in Kyrgyzstan is over $400 million per annum, equating to a Tourism Department budget of $4 million.

Kyrgyzstan’s tourism associations had proposed simplified procedures for obtaining group visas for the Kyrgyzstan-India and Kyrgyzstan-China routes, but it was rejected by the Government.

Rifai highlighted aspects that hinder the tourism development. Firstly, Kyrgyzstan should create conditions for safe tourism. Secondly, it should use modern technologies. Kyrgyzstan’s tourism sector has great potential and huge opportunities but practice has shown that no matter what tourist assets a country has, how it uses them is more important. To carry out a development plan, political will is needed.

As an example, Rifai spoke about the UAE which is located in a desert but whose authorities were able to demonstrate their political will to turn this place into one of the most attractive tourist destinations. One could argue that the UAE are rich in oil, but the country is getting more income from the tourism sector than from oil sales.

Kyrgyzstan has great tourism assets including mountains and unspoiled nature, which is now extremely rare in the world. Besides, the country has a favorable geographical location. The neighboring China is one of the biggest sources of tourists as well as Russia. Kyrgyzstan should also develop tourism relations with Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

Tourists mainly visit Kyrgyzstan from July to September to rest at Lake Issyk-Kul. The problem lies not in the short tourist season only, Rifai believes. In fact, it is the problem of thinking. For instance, hotels and resorts in Austria and Switzerland operate 12 months during the year.

Kyrgyzstan lacks aggressiveness in tourism promotion. Even if potential tourists know about Kyrgyzstan’s location or have heard some details about it, the country has no image as a tourism destination.

About UNWTO

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

UNWTO generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world.

UNWTO’s membership includes 157 countries, 6 Associate Members and over 480 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

World Nomad Games

Kyrgyzstan intends to propose inclusion of the World Nomad Games into the UN resolution on “Promotion of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace" at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai Jeenbekov said on June 7 at a meeting of heads of governments of the CIS countries held in Bishkek.

The World Nomad Games, which will start on September 3 at Lake Issyk-Kul, can become a platform for intercultural and interethnic dialogue of countries, Jeenbekov said and asked the CIS Prime Ministers to support Kyrgyzstan’s initiative.

Photo by Russian Prime Minister

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev posted a photo of the Ala-Archa Gorge located near Bishkek on his Instagram page. He took the picture during his trip to the Ala-Archa Natural Park on June 6 after the meeting with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Jeenbekov.

The picture posted by Russian Prime Minister gathered more than 60 thousand “likes” and was followed by tens of thousands of reposts on the same day. It was the best PR for Kyrgyzstan.

Medvedev is interested in photography and often posts pictures he takes in Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.