Kyrgyzstan's tourism has great potential, but the problems are even greater
To improve the situation, it is necessary to change the attitude of the local population towards tourists in the regions, as well as to develop tourist infrastructure, officials believe.
From 2012 to 2017, the share of tourism in Kyrgyzstan's economy grew by only 0.3% — from 4.7% to 5%. This was stated by Prime Minister Mukhammedkaly Abulgaziev today, June 6, at a government meeting, according to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers.
“At the same time, over the past five years, the number of tourists arriving in the country has been increasing annually by 6.2%. Therefore, revenues from the tourism sector should also increase proportionally each year,” he said.
The high-ranking official noted that the republic significantly lags behind neighboring countries in terms of the number of attracted tourists. According to him, to rectify the situation, residents of Kyrgyzstan's regions need to change their attitude towards tourists and tourist attractions.
“In essence, the local population is not ready to adequately welcome tourists. Moreover, they often have disagreements with tourist bases and boarding houses. A number of recent events clearly illustrate this,” he emphasized.
The head of government also lamented the unsanitary conditions in roadside cafes, high prices for recreation in most boarding houses, and the lack of stable tourist routes, professional guides, and rescuers.
“Local authorities and tourism organizations do not pay enough attention to creating favorable conditions for tourists in natural parks. There are no camping centers in the parks that meet international standards. There are simply no proper restroom facilities,” he added.
In conclusion, Abulgaziev expressed the opinion that such issues affecting the influx of tourists into the country should be addressed not just before the summer tourist season, but throughout the year.
According to official data, in 2017, about 2.5 million foreign tourists visited Kyrgyzstan, bringing over 26 billion rubles in profit to the country during this period.
It should also be noted that at the end of 2017, the World Tourism Organization included Kyrgyzstan in the TOP-10 countries where a "tourism boom" may occur in the near future.