Putting Kyrgyzstan on the map
This was written in 2006 to mark the end of the first year of the “Destination Marketing Association”, “Kyrgyz Tourism” – a form of Tourism Promotion Board.
It may seem strange to talk about putting a country “on the map”, but it is often said that one of the biggest problems facing the development of Tourism Kyrgyzstan is that many potential visitors to the country know little, (or nothing), about the possibilities available in the small mountainous, Central Asian, republic.
The country may well represent one of the best kept “undiscovered destinations” that still exist in the modern world: with vast, wild, mountain landscapes, (that must be one its biggest attractions) and thousands of mountain lakes (including the “Pearl of the Tien Shan”: Lake Issyk Kul – the second largest mountain lake in the world); the abundance of wildlife; the hospitable people and their traditional nomadic culture; the historical connections – with characters such as Genghiz Khan, Tamerlane, Babur; with the Great Silk Road connecting the Old World – Europe – with the mysterious Orient and, more recently, with the Soviet Union; the myriad opportunities for “adventure” activities: trekking, horse riding, rafting, mountaineering, skiing, cycling … or even, simply, just relaxing and resting on a beach.
In most countries throughout the world there is a body which serves as a “Tourism Promotion Board” with the tasks of creating an identifiable image and publicising both, the country itself and the attractions it has to offer. Until recently, however, there was no such organization promoting Kyrgyzstan on the world stage. That does not mean that Kyrgyzstan was not represented at Tourism Fairs, or in the foreign press, but rather that the work was undertaken “piecemeal” by the government and individual tour companies.
Over the years, many reports into the possible development into the development of tourism in the Kyrgyz Republic stressed the importance of establishing a Tourism Promotion Board. Eventually, in 2005, an agreement was signed between the Kyrgyz and Swiss governments concerning the establishment of such a body and developing the many tourism potential.
It is hoped that this move will bring about a wider recognition of the name “Kyrgyzstan”; a greater interest in the country amongst travellers around the world; an increase in the number of visitors and the overall development of the tourism industry within the country – along with a larger contribution to the economy of this small state and an improvement of the standards of living enjoyed by its people.
“Kyrgyz Tourism”, the Destination Marketing Association, unites the state and private sectors. The Swiss are also providing support during the intial stages to help target marketing and bring a wider perspective to the work.
The Association has just completed its first year of operation. In many ways it proved to be a difficult year, (for all sorts of reasons), but work proceeded, several projects started and some successes have already been recorded.
Unfortunately, subsequent years also presented difficulties … and eventually the project came to an end and the Association was wound up … it’s role has now been assumed byt the State Agency for Tourism – the equivalent of the Tourism Ministry.
Bishkek