According to Jumakanov, places like Rest Points are necessary to create comfortable conditions along tourist routes.
“Our initial goal was to build 58 such facilities. Currently, we are exploring alternative approaches to address this issue, including attracting businesses and financial organizations,” he added.
The official also noted that “the theater begins with a coat rack, and tourism begins with a toilet.”
“Kyrgyzstan has many picturesque places that attract tourists; however, many of them lack quality sanitary facilities. Outdated toilets no longer meet modern requirements, and we need to move away from that. In the mountains, yurt camps are set up with platforms, and the toilets consist of just two planks under a roof. For us, this may be the norm, but for foreign travelers, it is a serious stress. Some tourists are even unaware that such conditions exist,” the official explained.
He provided an example where one of the tour operators was transporting tourists from Arab countries. When asked why the group consisted only of men, without women and children, they replied that their wives had no opportunity to use the toilet. Men can tolerate such conditions, but women cannot,” Jumakanov acknowledged.
Furthermore, he noted that the project to create Rest Points faces certain challenges.
“Nevertheless, this project has become an impetus for the construction of additional sanitary facilities, including with the support of the World Bank. The new Rest Points in the south of the country will be larger, with parking for trucks, as well as hostels, cafes, restaurants, and laundries to ensure maximum comfort for tourists,” Damir Jumakanov concluded.
