In his speech, Erdenet Kasymov noted that the integration of Central Asian countries could significantly improve the situation in the tourism sector.
According to Kasymov, for foreign tourists, Central Asia is perceived as a single entity, which opens up new opportunities for the joint use of this potential. He recalled that at the ‘Central Asia – USA’ (C5+1) summit held on November 6 in Washington, President Sadyr Japarov emphasized the importance of tourism as a tool for bringing peoples closer together and proposed creating a common tourist space for the region.
Kasymov stressed that Kyrgyzstan supports the concept of presenting Central Asia as a single tourist destination in the markets of the USA, Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia.
‘Tourists in these markets are not just looking for individual countries, but for unique experiences. The greatest interest from international tour operators is aroused by routes covering the Silk Road, as well as mountain and cultural tours combining 3-5 countries,’ he noted.
Kasymov also spoke about the need to develop joint tourist products that will include routes connecting adventure and mountain tourism in Kyrgyzstan with historical attractions of neighboring countries, as well as tours revealing the nomadic heritage of the region.
In addition, he noted that Kyrgyzstan views the idea of creating a regional brand, such as ‘Open Central Asia,’ not as a replacement for national brands, but as a way to strengthen the positions of each country. The implementation of this concept, according to Kasymov, includes the participation of Central Asian countries in key international tourist exhibitions and the synchronization of their marketing strategies.
Discussing the level of service in the tourism industry, Kasymov pointed out the importance of perceiving the route as a whole — a decrease in the quality of service in one section can negatively affect the overall impression of the region.
He also focused on the need to unify service quality standards, develop human resources and joint educational initiatives, as well as scale up community-based tourism (CBT) practices.
‘Even the most effective marketing will not help if a tourist encounters logistical problems. To successfully promote regional routes, it is extremely important to ensure unimpeded movement between countries. The Kyrgyz Republic actively supports the simplification and digitalization of visa and border procedures,’ Kasymov summed up.
