International Conference on Tourism in Kyrgyzstan
AUCA Forum and Grenoble Alpes University within the framework of the USAID project – “Building the Future Together.”
An international conference titled “Developing Sustainable Tourism in Kyrgyzstan: Challenges and Opportunities” was held at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA). This forum, which gathered many foreign guests, was organized by AUCA in collaboration with Grenoble Alpes University as part of the USAID project – “Building the Future Together.”
In their speeches, conference participants noted that the development of the tourism sector could bring significant economic benefits to the country. Kyrgyzstan is rich in natural beauty, and the flow of foreign guests wishing to visit these attractions can be increased several times. As a result, the country will receive an additional influx of currency, the service sector will begin to develop more actively, and new jobs will be created.
By 2023, it is planned to increase the share of tourism in GDP to 7-10%. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism, Maksat Damir uulu, during the international conference. According to him, significant attention is being paid to the development of tourism in the area of sustainable development until 2023. “We have a tourism development program. By the end of 2018, its share in GDP was 5%, and we want to achieve 7-10% by 2023. We plan to do this not only by increasing the number of tourists but also by improving the quality of this sector. Quality will help preserve and enhance natural resources and the cultural features of the people,” said the deputy minister.
Tourism is one of the priority sectors of the economy of Kyrgyzstan. To develop sustainable domestic and international tourism, the country possesses rich natural, cultural, and ecological potential. The territory of the republic has more than a dozen resort, mountain-tourist, and climbing zones. The recreational value of the country is determined by the presence of large reserves of therapeutic mud, the wealth of mineral and thermal springs, and ecologically clean and practically untouched landscapes of civilization. All this creates unique conditions for tourism and resort recreation in Kyrgyzstan. Despite the natural and cultural opportunities, tourism remains a relatively insignificant sector in the Kyrgyz Republic.
In many countries, income from tourism is an important component of all budget revenues. Kyrgyzstan can potentially gain much more substantial benefits from the development of this sector of the economy. Therefore, expert recommendations on building a sustainable model for tourism development and attracting serious investments to this sector are very important for the republic. The international conference at AUCA provided an opportunity to once again reflect on the prospects and possible directions for the active development of tourism in Kyrgyzstan.
