Postcard from Bishkek

So … we now have a Department of Tourism at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.  The Polozheniye, (Position or regulation), establishing was signed by the Prime Minister at the end of last week.

The government was formed in December last year, following the Presidential elections when the Prime Minister, Almazbek Atambaev, was elected to the top job and his deputy, Omubek Babanov, was appointed in his place as the new Prime Minister.  Responsibility for the government oversight of tourism was transferred from the Ministry of Economic Regulation to the newly formulated Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

This is just the latest in a long list of reshuffles and reorganizations which have seen tourism passed between different government departments as a “political football”.  In the twenty years since Independence there have been twelve different structures, (and 16 different heads, (Minister, Chairman, Director, … etc.):

 

Apparently there is a significant difference between the status of these different structures.  The rules and regulations of government lay down, for example, the staffing structure for the different type of structure; an agency can differ significantly from a Committee or a department, yet alone from a Ministry.

As a “Brit”, I find the whole debate about what structure the country should adopt to be akin to “contemplating your own navel”.  It seems to me that the form of the organ or body is not as important as the work that it does.  In some countries there seems to be a Ministry of Tourism, although that might be combined with another portfolio (as in Kyrgyzstan) whereas in other countries it is just a department of another Ministry, (often the Ministry of Economics, as in Japan), whilst in others responsibility is given over to another “free standing” body such as a National Administration, State Agency or Committee.

For the record: Back in Britain, we don’t have a Ministry of Tourism; the sector is currently overseen and supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Although a Deputy Minister with responsibility for running the department was appointed and been in place for some time – the rest of the department hasn’t really existed because the formalities establishing it hadn’t been completed.  Officially he had no offices, no equipment, not staff and no funding.

That’s not to say that nothing has been happening.  There have been a host of meetings, discussions and consultations, which have resulted in a draft proposal for the Heart of Asia campaign, which would create “tourist clusters” and some other initiatives which it is hoped will bring some benefits with just one to one and a half years.  I have some doubts about this, but I haven’t seen the the details of the proposal.

Anyway, the fact that the polozheniye has now been signed at last ends that impasse and allows the department to get down to real work.  It begins by declaring that the Tourism Department is a subdivision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, established as an official body with the purpose of the maintenance and realization of the state policy in regard to tourism.  In the usual, formal way of such documents, it went on to give the formal name and address of the department, and provided for it to have its own stamp, giving it the right to maintain accounts – which means it should now be able to enter into contracts and start work.

The work of the department, the document says, should aim towards the primary goals of creating favourable conditions for the development of tourism and the formation of a positive image of the country.  It has to draft strategic documents, (concept, policies and plans), as well as laws and regulations.  In order to do this it should carry out an analysis of trends in the development of tourism, (including the quantity and structure of the flow of tourists, and the services offered by those working in the industry), and to forecast likely future direction and tendencies of those indicators.  Among the specific issues it on which it has to develop proposals are: the creation of equal opportunities for those working in the sector and the preservation of tourist resources, including sites of natural, historical or cultural importance.  It has to cooperate with the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) and other bodies with a view to developing analytical and informative materials, reports, etc. as well as supporting associations uniting those working in the sector.   It is also charged with attracting grants and sponsorship for work in the industry; developing marketing and educative materials and providing advisory services to those working in the industry.

The department is given the right to conclude and conduct contracts and to participate in legal proceedings; to cooperate with others in order to market the tourism potential of the country; to train its own staff and to attend international conferences, seminars and exhibitions; to request information from other state bodies and to carry out other activities which are not contrary to other measures in Kyrgyz legislation.

There are some further measures which outline the role and responsibilities of the Director of the Department, (a Deputy Minister), and his deputy as well as the financing of the department and it’s activities.

 

 

Although I was really pleased to see this, it  surprised me a little in a number of respects, some of which are:

• The document only defines the primary goals of the department – implying that there are other goals which take secondary or subsidiary importance … without stating what they might be.
• One of those primary goals makes it the duty / responsibility of the Department of Tourism to create a positive image for the country.  Although that may well be important for attracting tourists, it seems to me that this has a wider importance, for example, in the attraction of investments, in the presentations made by diplomats at home and abroad, and it seems to me that this is as much the prerogative of the government press service.
• It specifically mentions cooperation with the UNWTO, but Kyrgyzstan has a, not insignificant, debt before that organization in respect to unpaid membership fees.  I think we are going to have to set about at least starting to clear that debt before the UNWTO are likely to offer us much by way of support.
• Although it talks of attracting grants and sponsorship, it doesn’t say anything about attracting investment.  I suppose that this could be a function of a different government department, but I hope that doesn’t mean that it will be handicapped in any way.

Perhaps the most important point, however, is the fact that there seem to be a number of aims and objectives which are missing – especially when the declared purpose of the Department is the maintenance and realization of state policy within the tourist sector of the economy.

Please don’t misunderstand me.  The document places the main emphasis of the department’s roles and responsibilities on developing strategic documents, compiling analysis and reports, and making proposals for future policy decisions … oh … and yes … as well as undertaking marketing activities.  As it happens, I think that is about right … BUT … the declared purpose of establishing the department includes the realization of state policy and there is little or nothing in the polozheniye about this particular aspect of the department’s role.

Where, for example, are the references to liaising with other departments, so that they are to able to fulfill their declared role in assisting tourism associations in delivering tourism activities?

Then again, why is there is no reference to any role to be played in the education and training of the personnel involved in the industry? …  a vitally important factor in a service industry.  As I read the polzheniye, the department is restricted to gathering and analyzing data, presenting reports and recommendations of further action, but plays no role in the implementation of any decisions based on those recommendations …

So, what exactly is its role of the new Tourism Department in the realization of state policy in the sphere of tourism?

 

Tags: Tourism