OSCE helps young people find employment as tour guides in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan has been called the "Switzerland of Central Asia," but unlike its European counterpart, the only people you'll meet in the scenic Kyrgyz landscape are herdsmen. Guiding their cattle over mountain passes and living in summer yurts, portable felt and wood structures, these nomads offer an insight into a traditional lifestyle unchanged for hundreds of years.
A secret gem
Even with its breathtaking scenery, Kyrgyzstan, which became independent in 1991, has yet to fully develop its tourism potential. Most of today's visitors come from other former Soviet states.
"Tourism is an important sector of the economy and a potential source of employment for the rural Kyrgyz population," says Kimberley Bulkley, Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. "Last year, it made up five per cent of the national GDP and has been growing steadily at around one per cent a year."
Despite its location along the famous Great Silk Road, an ancient trade route that connected China with Europe through Central Asia, this small landlocked country is little known and information is not easily accessible, Bulkley says. But Kyrgyzstan, with its stable weather conditions, is a secret gem. It is a paradise for outdoor sports lovers, who are spoiled with a choice of hiking, trekking, climbing, horse riding, kayaking, rafting, biking, paragliding, skiing and snowboarding.
The niche for individual and adventure tourists is run by small tour operators, who defy the odds presented by outdated infrastructure, poor medical services and an unreliable rescue system. In 1999, fifteen of those private travel businesses joined efforts to found the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators (KATO).
This non-profit organization has not only grown in numbers since then, but has also expanded its range of experience and services. With 45 companies and three institutions of higher education as members, KATO is now one of the largest associations representing the country's tourism industry.
Overcoming challenges
One of the main challenges to tourism development, according to the State Agency on Tourism, is the lack of professionals working in this area. KATO, which aims both to make Kyrgyzstan a competitive tourist destination and to promote the development of the industry nationally and regionally, enlisted the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek in 2007 to organize a pilot project to train tour guides. The project was extended in spring 2008.
"This year, we started with a basic training course in May and have now invited our graduates to try out the advanced courses in outdoor activities that will start in late September," says Nurjan Ernesova, KATO's Executive Director. "We also want to show these young people the beauty of their country, which they may have never seen before, and to help them develop a greater appreciation of their own culture."
Participants, some of whom are already studying tourism or working as tour guides, are selected based on their motivation and knowledge of a foreign language. This year, many of the more than 100 applications came through word of mouth, including from non-KATO members.
Meeting expectations
During the two-day seminars, students learn about employers' requirements, clients' expectations and tour guides' rights, as well as first aid, sanitary issues and nutrition. Afterwards, they travel around the country to learn about its geography, vegetation, wildlife, traditions, customs and history, and they practice giving presentations on tourist sites. The training also strives to raise awareness of ecological issues and the environmental aspects of tourism.
KATO hopes to kill two birds with one stone: tackle the lack of qualified guides and create employment opportunities for young people who lack specific education or experience. Sixteen of last year's 22 participants passed the course's final exam and 80 per cent of them found employment that same summer. Five graduates are now employed full time, helping to fill the needs of Kyrgyzstan's growing tourism market.
"I love my country and want to present it at its best," says Akilbek, a student, explaining why he is studying tourism. "The biggest problem I see is that the service standards don't yet meet western expectations. But this is something we can change - so that visitors get what they pay for, come again and tell their friends about it."