In Kyrgyzstan, the first experts have been trained who will assign ‘stars’, ‘edelweiss’, and ‘tündük’ to tourist facilities

# In Kyrgyzstan, the first experts have been trained who will assign ‘stars’, ‘edelweiss’, and ‘tündük’ to tourist facilities

**On December 12, in Bishkek, the first training program for experts of the State Classification System for Accommodation Facilities (GSSRF) was completed — a tool that should structure the tourism market and ensure uniform quality standards. The training was organized by the tourism department and the Tourism Development Support Fund with the support of the ADB as part of the ‘Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor’ project.**

The program involved 17 specialists selected through an open competition. Over two days, they underwent an intensive course on the methodology of classifying hotels, guesthouses, yurt camps, and sanatorium-resort facilities. Participants studied evaluation criteria, the procedure for issuing acts, and participated in practical classification at the ‘Ambassador’ and ‘Solutel’ hotels. The final exam granted admission to internship and subsequent expert certification.

Director of the Tourism Department, Erdenet Kasymov, emphasized that the GSSRF creates a predictable environment for business and consumers.

> ‘The system establishes a uniform set of requirements for all categories of accommodation facilities. Tourists receive reliable information about the quality of services, and the market gets clear rules of the game. This is a necessary foundation for industry growth,’ he noted.

Deputy Director General of the Tourism Development Support Fund, Apas Ryspakov, added that experts will play a key role in the system’s operation.

> ‘We are creating a mechanism for objective evaluation. Experts are the guarantors that standards will be met, and classification will be professional and impartial,’ says Ryspakov.

The GSSRF forms a unified regulatory framework for assessing service quality in hotels, guesthouses, yurt camps, and sanatoriums. The system introduces clear and transparent categories — ‘stars’, ‘edelweiss’, and ‘tündük’ — allowing for the unification of requirements and the creation of a single state registry of classified facilities.

The methodology, developed taking into account international experience, including Hotelstars Union standards, is adapted to the conditions of Kyrgyzstan’s tourism market.