KCBTA – The Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association
The Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association “Hospitality Kyrgyzstan” (KCBTA), is the country’s driving force behind CBT best practices and innovation in the country.
The association’s objective is to improve living conditions in remote mountain regions by developing a sustainable and wholesome ecotourism model that utilizes local natural and recreational resources.
The headquarters of the Association are located in the capital Bishkek, but KCBTA is an umbrella association uniting a number of diverse communities (“CBT groups”) and an association of shepherd families offering jailoo (yurt) tourism (called “Shepherds’ Life” – which is featured in many guidebooks). The Association was registered in 2003 with support from the Swiss Association for International Cooperation, Helvetas, which operates a number of programmes throughout the country – as well as in over 20 countries around the world.
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| map : from www.cbtkyrgyzstan.kg |
KCBTA supports the rural sector with cost effective administration. It provides a balanced marketing strategy for local group services and products in both local and international markets, and it fosters communication on new projects, activities and opportunities to its rural chapters. The Association provides training for “service providers”, who are members of the local communities, on topics as varied as:
- environmental protection;
- cultural and heritage sites;
- ecology;
- business activities;
- cooperative working;
- customer service;
- being a guide
- capacity building and
- organization.
It also has a commitment to improving and maintaining the standard of service which the individual tourist can receive. As well as providing training courses and other support services, KCBTA has also developed a Travelers’ code for Responsible Tourism, standards for the accreditation of accommodation (in homes, and/or yurts) and produces a number of publications for both the tourist and the service provider.
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| KCBTA guesthouse |
The CBT initiative not only helps to spread the economic and social of tourism to remote rural areas, it opens those areas to a wider range of tourists than would otherwise be able to experience the spectacular scenery or traditional life of rural and nomadic Kyrgyzstan.
Using the services of member of one of the KCBTA chapters ensures the tourist of a level of service. It may still be basic, but the members will have been trained, inspected and have an idea of what is required of them – which may not otherwise be the case.
The Association represents members’ interests in national policy development and negotiations within the mainstream tourism industry – and has a valuable and valued voice in the development of tourism policy in the country.
The Celestial Mountains Tour Company supports the aims and objectives of KCBTA and is happy to work with them as a partner … offering their services to clients – either as the basis of a tour, or as part of a longer tour. Although, as a company, we don’t qualify for membership, we have worked closely with the Association on a number of projects.
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Contact details:
58 Gorky Street, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Tel.: + 996 312 540069
Fax: + 996 312 443331
Email:
Website: www.cbtkyrgyzstan.kg
Bishkek