How Tourism in Kyrgyzstan Has Grown 9 Times in 15 Years — Overview

The tourism industry in Kyrgyzstan has reached one of the highest levels in the entire history of observations. Over the past 15 years, the number of vacationers in the country has increased more than 9 times, and tourism’s contribution to the economy has approached 75 billion som. According to data from the National Statistical Committee, the sector is experiencing a full structural rise. If in 2010, 1 thousand economic entities were engaged in tourism activities, then in 2025, their number reached 3.1 thousand. These enterprises include hotels, yurt camps, guesthouses, tour companies, recreation bases, and other industry facilities. The main indicator—the number of vacationers—has grown especially sharply. In 2010, Kyrgyzstan received about 584.3 thousand tourists and vacationers. In 2025, the figure exceeded 5.3 million people. At the same time, the organized sector provides the bulk of the flow: hotels, boarding houses, and tourist complexes served 3.6 million people compared to 357.7 thousand in 2010. Unorganized tourism is also growing actively. The number of people vacationing outside the official infrastructure increased from 226.6 thousand to 1.7 million people. This indicates the rapid development of the private sector—guesthouses, housing rentals, and local tourism. The economic effect has become even more noticeable. The gross value added created by the tourism industry grew from 8.2 billion som in 2010 to 74.4 billion som in 2025. In fact, tourism has become one of the largest service sectors in the country. At the same time, tourism’s share in GDP has not changed as significantly—from 3.7% to 3.8%. The growth is most felt in the Issyk-Kul region. Almost half of all vacationers—more than 49%—fell on this region. Border service statistics show an even more large-scale dynamics. In 2025, the number of border crossings by foreign citizens exceeded 10 million arrivals, increasing by 19% over the year. This indicates not only the growth of classical tourism but also the strengthening of transit, business trips, and regional mobility. The tourism infrastructure is also expanding. As noted by the National Statistical Committee, in 2025, there were 842 tourism and recreation facilities in the country, including 388 hotels, 188 specialized accommodation facilities, 114 yurt camps, and 2.3 thousand guesthouses.