On August 5, a Memorandum of Cooperation in the Field of Tourism was signed between the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic and the South Korean company "TOFA".
The document was signed by the Deputy Minister overseeing tourism issues, Maksat Chakiyev, and the director of the company "TOFA," Choi Seongryong, as part of the Tourist Farming Cluster project.
“The signed document opens a relatively new direction for the Kyrgyz Republic on a large scale, namely the development of the agro-tourism complex as a separate sector. This project will not only give us the opportunity to produce environmentally friendly food products but also attract tourists interested in eco-tourism to Kyrgyzstan,” emphasized Maksat Chakiyev.
A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic noted the growing presence of South Korean businesses in Kyrgyzstan as a positive trend in the recent years of bilateral relations between the countries.
The initiator of this project was the Advisor to the Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic, Alexander Lim. He has done significant work to attract this company and also moderated the signing of the Memorandum.
As part of this project, the company "TOFA" will begin construction of a complex (mini-city), which will include the agricultural sector – greenhouses, facilities for growing and heating seed plants, warehouses, professional educational institutions, dormitories, and other agricultural equipment. The tourism sector will include hotel-type houses, a vehicle fleet, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Essentially, the agro-tourism cluster implies the creation of an environmentally friendly and socially prosperous modern mini-city.
As a result, such a town should supply agricultural products, agricultural machinery, and equipment, and provide eco-houses for families engaged in agriculture.
The expected effects of the project are:
- creation of additional jobs;
- active development of agriculture through the experience of local residents in eco-friendly cultivation technologies;
- attraction of tourists and development of the tourism industry.
Source: Press Service of the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic