Postcard from Bishkek

I have referred before to the fact that “the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley …”, and this postcard is just another example of how right Robert Burns was when he made this sharp observation.

A few months ago I got a phone call from the secretary of Association for Franco-Kyrgyz Cooperation.

The Association was established by some Kyrgyz students who were studying at the university in Grenoble, France, and for several years they have organized an annual conference at the university about Tourism in Kyrgyzstan.  As it happens, several of them had been former pupils of Ludmila, one of our staff who, apart from being an excellent guide, is as a very successful French teacher here in Bishkek.  For several years, her pupils have been amongst the the winners of the state wide “Olympiad” in French.  As a result, when the invitation to participate in the first of these conferences arrived on my desk, it got slightly more attention than it might have done otherwise.

There were other reasons why I found the invitation interesting … for a start, the French are very good travelers and, for some reason, have provided one of the largest contingents amongst our clientele.  That has always surprised me, that so many French would chose a British owned and run company when there are others in Bishkek, including two French owned companies.  After all, the French and the English have a record of not really getting on that well down through the centuries.  It could have had something to do with Napolean, or the history of Calais, but I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that they once ruled most of Britain, whilst at another we ruled most of what is now France.  To be perfectly frank, it is probably more to do with culture and language … and the all pervading influence of the English speaking world, especially as represented by the United States of America, crowding out French culture and language and putting the French national identity under pressure.  Anyway, whatever the reason, the French and French speaking world are amongst our best customers.

So, I decided to support the conference and to send Ludmila who could make a speech and represent the company.  At the time, I was aware that I was probably committing myself for three years if, by any chance the conference turned out to be more than just a one-off, “flash in the pan”.   Generally speaking, in tourism it is pretty pointless in attending an exhibition just once – especially for new companies.  The first time you turn up, you may earn some business and sign the odd contract, but it is really more a case of establishing a presence and making contacts.  Then, the second year, people remember you from the year before and note that you are still around and in business … no mean feat in this volatile market, but it still doesn’t earn you that many contracts.  It’s only on the third occasion that you show that you have really established yourselves and are likely to be around for some time.

Our experience in Grenoble has certainly followed that pattern … with lots of interest generated in the first year, but little in concrete terms.  More interest the following year, but generating more business, which is repeated and intensified in the third.

If I thought that after three conferences that I might decide to cut back and try another market in future, I didn’t really get the chance.  That’s what the phone call was all about.

The Chairman of the Association  was coming back to Bishkek from France and wanted to invite me to lunch … “OK”, I thought to myself when I got the invitation, “I wonder what this is all about”, after all, they say that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”.

What is about, it was revealed, was that the fourth conference was going to be staged as part of a much larger event, the World Exhibition of Sustainable Mountain Development. SAM2010.  The Association had managed to persuade the Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and the exhibition organisers to incorporate their conference as one of the exhibition activities.  There were lots of advantages to this arrangement, but there was also one drawback.  The conference would last for just half a day – effectively just two, (or two and a half), hours.  Despite this, the benefits of combining the two events seemed to outweigh the disadvantages.

The reason the Chairman wanted to see me was two-fold: first he was looking for a sponsor – and asked if we would be willing to take on that role.  As it happens, the sum he was looking for was not as large as I had feared so I cautiously agreed.  Secondly, he asked if I would be willing to speak at the event.

Now, quite frankly, I tried to our cold water over the suggestion.

I’ve already referred to the fact that, although we are basically friends and neighbours, there are sometimes little differences of opinion between the French and the Brits.  Surely it would be better, I argued, to invite one of the French people here who running a tour company, or even a local who could better present themselves as representing Kyrgyzstan.  There wasn’t only the question of language, there was the issue of cultural understanding and empathy.  Although they understood the point they still thought I would be a better candidate due to the fact that were a long standing European investment in Kyrgyzstan and the industry and was a member of the Management Board of the International Business Council and had been President of the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators for four out the last five years and could represent the industry as a whole rather than just one firm.

Also, although the others had occasionally participated in the conference, we we had persistently and continuously supported them.

So I tried another tack: although I can read French reasonably well and understand most of what I read, (thanks to the sterling efforts of Mrs. Steer and Mrs. Taverner when I was a mere strappling of a schoolboy), I really cannot speak the language.  If someone talks to me in French, slowly and using simple words, then, once again, I can understand quite a bit of what I am hearing.  Whenever I attempt to speak the language, however, my mind works too slowly and I end up speaking Russian, or some form of bastardised franglais.  Surely if would be better to send someone who was fluent in the language – like Ludmila!  Although they liked the idea, they said that it wasn’t really important, it wasn’t an issue, becasue they would have interpreters present.

In short: they still wanted me.

So, I let the flattery get the better of me, (although there were also other considerations which had a bearing on my decision), and I agreed.

So I began to prepare my speech.  I had a maximum of twenty minutes allocated to me … which would be difficulty in itself, but it was made more serious by the fact that as I would be speaking in English I had to allow for an interpreter to translate my words into French.  That meant I had to try and cram what I wanted to say into just ten minutes.  Did they realise just what they were asking me to do?

Still I worked on a speech and was beginning to put together a Powerpoint presentation to go with it when the events of April 7th interrupted me … and I came to a reluctant decision that I had to cancel my participation in the event, because:

1. I could see that it might be necessary to be around to deal with things and couldn’t risk being out of the country for a week;
2. I didn’t want to be seen to be apparently running away, and
3. If things were to develop badly, then it might be difficult to re-enter the country …

In the end, as it happens, the conference was cancelled … which was a great pity because its at this sort of time that we need the exposure.

Anyway, this is the speech I prepared … and never got the chance to give:

Tourism Opportunities in Kyrgyzstan  – Summer

World Exhibition of Sustainable Mountain Development

Grenoble – 21/04/2010 – 23/04/2010

The first thing I have to say is that I am grateful for the opportunity to be here in France, in Grenoble, and to at the World Exhibition of Sustainable Mountain Development, (SAM 2010), and to be able to say something about Kyrgyzstan and what the country has to offer.  I want to thank the organizers of the exhibition for their support, and in particular to thank the Association of Franco-Kyrgyz Cooperation for the efforts in recent years in organizing events to help bring Kyrgyzstan to the attention of people her in Europe, and in France in Particular.

The Plan:

I have a very short amount of time, and there is so much to say, that I am going to have to limit my comments to three brief points:

• Who am I? … why am I here?
• What does Kyrgyzstan have to offer?
• Tourism opportunities in Kyrgyzstan – What it is possible to see and to do

In particular, in relation to the tourist opportunities that exist in Kyrgyzstan during the summer as the next speaker will be addressing the question of the opportunities for activities in the country during the winter, winter sports and so on.

Who am I? … And Why am I here?

It’s always good to know who the speaker is, so let me give you a few outline points

• British (English) …
• Came to Kyrgyzstan in 1995
• … originally for one year
• … but I am still here
  I sometimes joke that I just never really went home … but there is a lot more to it than that.
• I was invited here  today as
• a Tour Operator …
• a former President of KATO …
  (the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators)
• a Board member of IBC …
  (the International Business Council – one of the leading Business Associations in the republic)

The Celestial Mountains Companies

I am here to talk about Tourism in Kyrgyzstan, nor specifically about our companies, but you should know that the companies were established by three British investors, (I am one of them), some 13 years ago, that was in 1997.  We have a number of activities, but the main ones are:

• The Tour Department:
  we run tours throughout Kyrgyzstan, mostly motor tours customized to meet specific requests, but also throughout the Central Asian region and along the Great Silk Road.
• The  “Silk Road Lodge” Hotel in Bishkek:
  established in 2000 as a small and comfortable “western style” hotel, offering a wide range of services  to guests; and
• The «Celestial Mountains» Guesthouse in Naryn:
  A small, basic but comfortable guesthouse in Naryn, a town on the road to China over the Torugart Pass.

So why am I, a “Brit”, (albeit one who has chosen to make Kyrgyzstan his home), here to talk about tourism in Kyrgyzstan?

… in the words of a British Ambassador …

… most British interests in Kyrgyzstan are usually the result of a love affair.  “Brits” tend to come here, fall in love and want to stay here.  Just as I did, some fifteen years ago.

But it is not just the British that fall in love with Kyrgyzstan.  There is something special about Kyrgyzstan that  “gets into your blood”, or “under your skin.” To be honest, I am not sure exactly what it is, and for different people it will be different things, but there is something about this country that excites visitors – makes them want to extend their stay, or at the very least to return.

It could be: the spectacular scenery; the wildlife; the traditional culture of the nomadic Kyrgyz; the atmosphere connected with the many historical places in the country, (archaeological sites connected with the Great Silk Road, the Mongol Hordes, the Bolshevik Revolution); or it could be the variety of possible activities; the hospitality of the local populace … or possibly a combination of all of these factors?

It could simply be that Kyrgyzstan is still relatively unknown as a tourist destination … although you might see lots of people relaxing on the beaches of Lake Issyk Kul, there are still very few Westerners who venture into this part of Central Asia each year.

Whatever it is, there is something that makes Kyrgyzstan “special”.

So, What has Kyrgyzstan got to offer?

The list could be quite extensive but the short answer is that it has “Something for everyone”:

• Mountains
  It may seem odd talking about the attractions of mountains here in the heart of the European Alps, but the mountains of the Tien Shan are, perhaps, Kyrgyzstan’s greatest asset.  Kyrgyzstan is a small country with over 90% of the territory classified as “mountainous”. There are peaks over 7000 meters high, … some have never been climbed and there are even peaks which have yet to be given a name.  These mountain peaks and valleys divide the landscape into quite distinct landscapes, microclimates and habitats. It is possible to encounter many different experiences in a small geographical area, and a short space of time.

  But you don’t need to be a mountaineer to appreciate the grandeur of the scenery.   Within an hour of the center of the capital city, Bishkek, it is possible to be in an Alpine valley, with cool clear air, clean rushing mountain streams … unlike anything you could find in Britain.  There are many interesting places within easy reach of the road, and for the more adventurous, there are vast relatively unexploited stretches of land available to explore.

• Nature and Wildlife
  The landscape is just one aspect of the natural environment.  Central Asia plays host to a wide variety of fauna and flora … including many endangered species, the most famous of which are the Snow Leopard and Marco Polo Sheep.  To be fair, it is unlikely that a tourist will encounter one of these reclusive animals during a tour, but at the right time of year ornithologists and lepidopterists have the opportunity to see a wide variety of specimens.  Central Asia is also the home of many easily recognizable plant species, such as: Apples, Tulips and Rhubarb.  Although they probably didn’t originate here, Southern Kyrgyzstan is home to the world’s largest relics of Walnut forests, and a host of fruits are grown in the region.
• History
  It doesn’t matter what period of history you are interested in.  For those interested in “pre-history” there are numerous sites where Petroglyphs can be found, especially the remote Saimaluu Tash stone fields.  Ancient Burial mounds, Barrows, abound.

  There are several sites associated with the Great Silk Road, (such as the Tash Rabat Caravanserai, and Burana Tower), and although there are only a few actual examples that remain, there are many interesting sites associated with the Silk Road and it is possible to get a feeling for the sort of experiences and difficulties that the merchants, soldiers and pilgrims encountered as they travelled that ancient great highway.  To get a feel for the “authentic” Silk Road.

  Kyrgyzstan also saw an important role in the rise and fall of many great kingdoms and empires: such as those of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and Babur, all of whom are associated with the region.

  In more recent times there is the legacy of Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union.

• Traditional Nomadic Culture
  One of the great riches of Kyrgyzstan is its people.  There are overt eighty different nationalities represented in the population, each with their own traditions and culture.  Like the native Kyrgyz, each group maintains its own identity and culture and so it is possible to experience a kaleidoscope of cultures in a short visit.

  Of course, it is the nomadic Kyrgyz traditions that predominate … traditions that have been maintained over the centuries, such as: horsemanship; crafts; cuisine; music; oral literature and traditional hospitality.

  One of Kyrgyz Tourism’s success stories is the development of Community Based Tourism, which not only gives visitors the opportunity to stay with local families in their homes or traditional yurts and to experience something of everyday life and traditional nomadic hospitality rather than spending all one’s holiday in comfortable hotels and resorts in the main tourist centers, it also opens up more remote areas of the country and helps the local population to supplement their income

• …..

The list could go on … but as I said, we are short of time …

Tourism in Kyrgyzstan

There are a variety of activities possible for anyone interested in visiting Kyrgyzstan

• Recreational – mainly around the world’s second largest mountain lake: “Issyk Kul”
  The traditional “Sun, San and Sea”, (well, Lake), type of tourism … the shores of Lake Issyk Kul are lined with resorts which have been popular since Soviet times.  In recent years there has been a growth in the number of resorts with new resorts built to international standards which has been little less than spectacular.
• Adventure Tours, taking advantage of the spectacular scenery and pristine natural environment: Mountaineering, Trekking, Rafting, Hunting, Horse Riding, Caving, … and, of course, Skiing, but more on that topic later.
• Travelling along the Great Silk Road, taking the opportunity to explore the Historical and Cultural  heritage of Central Asia
• There is even the opportunity to “combine Business with pleasure” – for example, there are facilities for conducting Seminars and Conferences, from small to large, in a number of locations around the country …

… in short, “there’s something for everyone”

It’s a great place to visit …

… and one that offers opportunities for investment, especially in this growing sector of the economy.

Finally, it only remains to say:

Рахмат көңгул бурганыга
Спасибо за внимание
Merci pour votre attention
Thank you for your attention

Tags: Expat, Organizations, Speeches, Tourism