Extreme Adventure and Sports Tourism in Kyrgyzstan
A relatively small number of tour operators offer extreme adventures or sports tours, as this requires special equipment, safety mechanisms, and professional guides. Nevertheless, the share of extreme adventure tourism in the overall revenue of tour operators is steadily increasing. The main products of extreme adventure tourism include mountain climbing and rock climbing, skiing and snowboarding, rafting, helicopter tours, and hunting tours. Sports equipment for extreme tourism is very diverse; you can buy skis, snowboards, and tents even through online stores in any city.
This section analyzes a typical package that includes climbing Lenin Peak (7134 m), located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the Pamir-Alai mountains. This 21-day package costs $2050 per person. The itinerary is as follows: Bishkek–Osh–Lenin Peak Camp–Osh–Bishkek. The package includes two days of accommodation in a hotel in Bishkek, two days of accommodation in a hotel in Osh, 17 nights of accommodation in double tents, meals at the Achak-Tash base camp, a permit to stay in the border zone, equipment, and the services of a professional guide. The package also includes a city tour of Osh. The value chain is depicted in the figure. As before, the breakdown of the package cost is purely conditional.
The cost of airline tickets, transfers to/from the airport and hotel, and visa fees are the same as for cultural and soft adventure tours. The main difference lies in the primary tourist product, mountaineering, which requires special equipment and food, acclimatization, and therefore a longer stay in the mountain camp. Thus, a higher percentage of the package cost (about 83%) goes to tour operators. Additionally, this specific route includes an extra two-day stay in Osh, on the way to/from the mountain camp. A typical flight from Bishkek to Osh is a domestic flight operated by one of Kyrgyzstan's airlines. A return ticket from Bishkek to Osh costs an average of $100 per person. Cash expenses, estimated at $50–80, include porter services for extra luggage, medical insurance, life insurance, food, and souvenirs.
The figure shows the relative shares of each service provider in this value chain. The costs of the primary tourist product account for the largest share (46%) of the total value chain cost, followed by airline tickets (41%) and hotel expenses in Bishkek and Osh (3% each). Generally, tour operators of extreme adventure tours hire specially trained instructors and guides from Bishkek or other countries, such as Russia and Kazakhstan, and do not create many jobs for local residents. The lack of trained guides and instructors is one of the key constraints in the "camp stay, climbing" component of this value chain.
Moreover, the tour companies themselves are often foreign. For instance, when studying tours for climbing Lenin Peak, Watanabe et al. (2009) found that about 80% of tourists visiting Lenin Peak were served by tour operators from Uzbekistan, 15% by Russian or Kazakh companies, and only 5% used the services of Kyrgyz operators. There are no guest houses or motels in nearby villages, and residents are effectively excluded from tourism activities.
Thus, only 1–2% of the cost, in the form of auxiliary services, generates income for local communities. This uneven distribution of tourism income represents one of the main constraints in this value chain. To change this situation, the government must ensure professional training for local community residents in services related to extreme adventure tourism. It goes without saying that strict safety regulations must be adhered to in this type of tourism.
Furthermore, due to the lack of an adequate insurance market, local tour operators do not offer medical insurance and life insurance for extreme adventure tourists. Tourists purchase it from international insurance companies, which often underestimate risks and, consequently, the insurance amount is insufficient to cover evacuation costs and other medical expenses. This issue requires government intervention – appropriate insurance policies must be created and implemented.
The uneven distribution of tourism income is exacerbated by environmental pollution caused by tourism activities. Watanabe et al. (2009) identified pollution and overall environmental degradation in the Lenin Peak area. According to this study, around 9–21 tons of uncollected waste have accumulated around Lenin Peak due to tourism activities. Thus, environmental pollution is another significant barrier in this chain. As a public good, environmental protection is not accounted for in the value chain and is not considered by tourism companies.
One potential solution to both problems could be the development of ecotourism, the benefits of which directly extend to local communities and the environment. Ecotourism companies, partially established with the support of various donors, are already operating and succeeding in the tourism market in Kyrgyzstan. Their network should be expanded and strengthened.
