The famous mountaineer, conqueror of Everest and president of the Kyrgyz Mountaineering Federation Eduard Kubatov told Kabar News Agency about the changes that are taking place in the country in the development of mountain tourism and winter recreation. He stressed that in recent years a big step forward has been made and prospects have been laid for creating an infrastructure for receiving and servicing ski enthusiasts. The mountain resorts being built in the republic will be able to attract millions of guests to the country and become one of the pillars of the national economy.
- We have heard about the need to develop the tourism industry in Kyrgyzstan before, 10 and 20 years ago. But what has been happening in recent years, the projects that are being implemented and laid down, indicate serious systemic shifts. How can you characterize these developments?
- There are colossal changes not only in the tourism sector, but also in the economy and political development of the country as a whole. These are such obvious and strong processes. This is something we did not see during the first 30 years after independence. Then we talked about the weakness of the state, about economic decline, we simply survived due to various reasons, including political corruption, immaturity of leaders, objective and subjective mistakes. Unfortunately, it was precisely because of the weakness of the state and the economy that in those years various projects, including in the tourism sector, had more declarative nature. Probably, there was no political will to put everything in order, set priorities and find sources of financing. Of course, this also applies to the tourism industry.
- How promising is it to develop tourism in Kyrgyzstan? Similar ambitious goals have been set in this sector before, but alas, something went wrong...
- The key and most important factor in the development of tourism is our country itself, its natural beauty. Almost 95 percent of the territory is occupied by beautiful mountains. We have 2,000 mountain lakes. Climbing from the foot to the top, you can go through four natural seasons - from hot summer to winter frosts. We have landscapes like in sandy deserts, the same alpine meadows, higher up - permafrost and glaciers. This is what attracts millions of guests to Kyrgyzstan, the unique natural landscape is the most important factor in the development of the tourism industry.
It is gratifying that now the state has taken on the most important role in this sector. The country's leadership sets the pace, determines priorities and promotes significant projects. First of all, Three Peaks, this ski resort will become the largest in Central Asia, many interesting ideas are being implemented in the Ala-Archa National Park. We see the development of regional tourist destinations in Talas and Osh, interesting opportunities exist in Batken and Naryn, and Karakol can be called the winter capital of our country.
- What should we focus on now in order to not to miss something important and attract more travelers and mountain recreation enthusiasts to our country?
- There are several basic things that will support the development of tourism. The first is accessibility. We need to simplify the process of obtaining visas for guests or cancel them. It is necessary to open new airlines to Europe, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan and the Middle East.
The second is loyalty. Travelers should not feel uncomfortable when crossing the border. It is necessary to ensure their safety at all stages of the journey.
The third is developed infrastructure. Roads, power grids, Internet access and communications - this is where we need to invest huge resources, which are key factors that play an important role.
The fourth is the development of public-private partnerships. Tourism can be called a renewable source of business, so the participation of local communities in these projects should be quite broad. This will give a serious economic effect.
The fifth, we must maintain international environmental standards in all areas, starting with Issyk-Kul, as the most popular destination, to the mountain peaks in Alay and the central Tien Shan. Everyone must fulfill environmental requirements - boarding houses, five-star hotels, tourist bases and mountaineering camps. We must preserve the industry and develop it in the long term, we must adhere to strict standards and requirements. The state must show zero tolerance for violations.
Seeing how everything has changed in recent years, I am confident that we will achieve real results in the development of tourism and everything will be fine with us.