TODAY. Kyrgyz Tourism #1 NOVEMBER. Content: Quarterly Newsletter of the Destination Marketing Association Kyrgyz Tourism/DMA

Transcription

1 Kyrgyz Tourism TODAY Quarterly Newsletter of the Destination Marketing Association Kyrgyz Tourism/DMA #1 NOVEMBER 2006 Content: Briefly about the Association page 2 Where does the tourism path lead? page 3 Tourism: staff determine everything page 4 Cultural exchange in Kyrgyzstan page 5 Holydays in Toktogul page 5 Mongolia: Prospects for Tourism Development page 6 Japanese and Kyrgyz look alike page 7 Calendar of tourism fairs of 2007 page 8 Cultural events page 8

2 Association news Dear Friends, Let me introduce you to the first issue of the Kyrgyz Tourism Today newsletter. We would like to share with you information about the Association, tourism news, new tour products and services, and interesting events in our country. I started working for the Kyrgyz Tourism Association in May 2006 and now you can see the results of my work and that of our team (DMA and DMO), which has put a lot of effort, skills and knowledge into the Association. I would like to thank the Destination Marketing Organization project and the Board of the Association who have always paid attention to our work and given us the support we need. Our strong and close relationship with them has always been based on mutual trust and respect. Currently, there are 90 members of the Kyrgyz Tourism Association countrywide, a clear indication that we are on the right road. Therefore, we hope that the Association will become one of the most important tools in promoting Kyrgyzstan as a tourism destination. We wish to work following the principles of flexibility and transparency to introduce Kyrgyzstan to potential tourists for mutually beneficial cooperation. We sincerely hope that Kyrgyz Tourism Today will help create a good impression of our Association and will reassure you that marketing Kyrgyzstan, as a tourism destination is necessary for the Government and private sector of our country. Kyrgyzstan is a wonderful country and has great potential and opportunities for tourism development. Sincerely yours, Suita Bekmuratova, Executive Director of the Kyrgyz Tourism Association Information in brief about the Kyrgyz Tourism Association /DMA In future, you will be able to read about the results of our promotions, planning issues and current news from the Association here. In this first issue, we would like to address people who may not yet be familiar with our background and objectives, giving you a general introduction to the background of Kyrgyz Tourism/DMA. The DMA, Destination Marketing Association was registered in August 2004 and in 2005 became the local partner organization of the DMO project (Tourism Destination Marketing Project run by Helvetas Swiss Association for International Cooperation). It was then renamed Kyrgyz Tourism in a logical step towards its own identity and better recognition. From 2005 to 2007 the Association is being funded by seco (Swiss state secretariat for economic affairs), the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the private tourism sector of the country. marketing plan, developed and approved each year by the General Assembly and Steering Committee of the Association. Like every national tourism promotion organization, we work closely with the Government (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism), which has equal representation on the Board of our Association. We consider a solid base of public-private partnership to be fundamental for the future of our Association and for coordinated tourism marketing. For membership and more information, please write to dma@elcat.kg. I look forward to seeing you at the important next General Assembly. Our objective and task as defined in the charter, is to promote Kyrgyzstan as a tourism destination and to support tourism development in our country. The staff of the Association shares offices with the DMO support project at 231 Tynystanova Street. Our main activities are concentrated on implementing the ambitious

3 Tourism news Where does the tourism path lead? Kyrgyzstan has come into tourism with a rich natural, cultural and historical potential and in its 15 years of independence the country has already accumulated experience of attending World Tourism Fairs. Kyrgyzstan is working and learning at the same time and moving in tune with world market developments, taking the best, most accessible and acceptable paths relevant to local conditions, as can be seen from the results of the market research, which was conducted in summer ,5 38,5 Expect more Does the quality of services for CIS tourists meet their expectations, in %? 24,0 8,0 4,2 4,6 More then expected 40,2 39,9 55,9 Just meet expectations ,1 10,7 12,1 Difficult to answer Tourists from more than 40 foreign countries, 70 cities of Russia, 15 cities of Kazakhstan, 10 cities of Uzbekistan, and also internal tourists from different regions of the country expressed their opinion about the country s hospitality. According to the tourists the level of service quality has improved in basic accommodation, cafes and restaurants. There are more dissatisfied and disappointed tourists than we would wish, but the overall improvement in service level is obvious. The demand for tourism services in the KR this year exceeded all expectations more than a million people visited our country. At the same time the level of prices was especially «impressive» and prices increased dramatically due to the modernization of rooms and building new hotels and resorts. There has been a visible change in the structure of supply towards more expensive rooms - from $35 and higher. The need for rooms at $15-25 has become critical. There are no places for school, student or pensioner tourism. There are no Community Вased camps, as there are in other countries. These deficiencies are the result of a lack of a leisure industry development strategy for Kyrgyzstan. The prices for adventure tours were almost unchanged. Europeans value stability and can influence the prices of KR tour operators. On the whole, prices increased especially where the quality of service has 44.7% of CIS tourists are planning to visit Kyrgyzstan again next year, as are 22.2% of tourists from foreign countries, which is 10% more than in Almost all tourists who visited our country this summer faced various problems, some of which could be solved. The repetition of some problems and the delay in solving them casts doubt on the state s proclaimed priority of the tourism industry in developing the economy of the country. It is possible to see from the general picture, that CIS tourists are complaining less about the low level of service, while the state of the roads, Customs procedures, extortion by inspectors and other inconveniences continue to annoy tourists and go against the country s wish to be seen as a hospitable country. If there were not all these problems, then walking the tourism path would be more interesting. R. Shaihutdinov Director of Marketing Services Bureau (This article is based on the Tourism Market of the KR 2006, market research conducted with the support of DMA DMO, BAS EBRD) Does the quality of services corresponded to price paid by tourists from CIS countries, in %? 3,4 3,1 4,3 Consider price underestimated 44,7 43,8 62,5 Correspondent price 39,6 39,6 20,2 Consider price underestimated ,2 13,6 13,0 Difficult to answer

4 Opinion Tourism: staff determine everything In spite of the fact that the tourism industry in Kyrgyzstan is developing rapidly, the system of staff training doesn t meet the requirements of the labour market and so the level and quality of skilled employees leaves a lot to be desired. Therefore there is a situation, where employers cannot find qualified staff and graduates cannot find jobs. As a result, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic (MITT) is currently initiating some projects to solve staff training problems. Photo: Cholpon Begalieva The main reasons for the current situation are that educational institutions are not planning the future educational process, not conducting market research in the labour market and are not developing trades (occupations), which are in demand in the labour market. The level of practical training, which students get in tourism enterprises is very low. There is another problem - graduates lack practical experience, computer skills, foreign languages, management skills, initiative, ability to work as part of a team and do not understand what clients need. These are the main complaints of tourism businesses about educational institutions. The need for highly skilled staff for the tourism industry is growing quite rapidly and the number of vocational school leavers is increasing every year with 100 (2003), 50 (2004), 158 (2005)* and 89 (2003), 322 (2004), 243 (2005)** from professional lyceums. However, Kyrgyz tour operators are not satisfied with the level of training of university graduates, 107 (2003), 71(2004) and 137 (2005)*. Sanatorium-resort and hotel service, and catering are some of the most important sectors of tourism but unfortunately in our country, especially in the years of changing over to a market economy they have not become as profitable and efficient as in foreign countries. One of the ways of solving this problem is through training and raising the level of staff skills. In this connection MITT has signed a Memorandum with the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic about creating an educational, scientific and industrial faculty in the field of tourism based at the Bishkek State Economics and Business University to study the state of and prospects for developing the tourism industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and also developing innovative ways of training staff for the tourism industry. Obviously, it is necessary to actively engage employers in the educational process, develop professional standards, assess the content and quality of staff training and consequently, it is necessary to develop a social partnership between the government, private sector and educational institutions. Professions are changing, as are their qualification criteria, which is why, it is necessary to develop a new jobs classifier for the tourism sphere and new professional standards and high-quality curricula and to adapt them to the new market conditions. What is the reaction of the teachers and trainers of staff? This question is still open. Gulmira Karymshakova, Head of educational methodical department of Ministry of industry, trade and tourism of KR Today the tourism services market requires specialised ways of training professionals and gaps have been exposed in the current training system. Taking into account the above-stated problems and modern requirements of the labour market, the MITT has developed new criteria for professions in hotel and restaurant service, mountaineering and ecological tourism, which are currently being considered by representatives of the tourism industry. These new professions are needed in the labour market and changes need to be made to the state register of professions of workers, positions of employees and wage categories of OK , and in curricula. 4

5 Made in KG Cultural exchange in Kyrgyzstan The 2nd At Chabysh Cultural and Sport Festival, a fantastic show with the best horses and riders of Kyrgyzstan, was held on the Barskoon Plateau, Issyk-Kul region from 4th to 7th November The purpose of this international festival is to rehabilitate and preserve the Kyrgyz horse, which is the heart of Kyrgyz nomadic culture. The festival was organized by the local Kyrgyz Ate Foundation in co-operation with the Kyrgyz government. For just three days the shore of Issyk-Kul Lake became an arena where a horse marathon (horse endurance race), traditional horse games, greyhound dog races (taïgans), eagle and falconry displays, archery (jamby) took place. Not only sports competitions were held but also folklore enthusiasts enjoyed the performances of akyns, narrators of the Manas Epic (manaschy), a yurt camp was set up, handicrafts were judged by the audience and of course, gourmets could taste dishes of rich traditional food. This 2nd Festival again attracted international visitors, including TV crews and international journalists and over people attended. Modern tourists are usually looking for opportunities to meet and mingle with local people. These exchanges and the experience of a living cultural heritage reflect a profound need, especially for well-travelled people. In Kyrgyzstan they have their origin in the traditional way of life and traditions from time immemorial and seem to appeal to more and more visitors. The At Chabysh Festival could become an important tourist attraction appealing to tourists from way beyond Kyrgyzstan s borders. In addition, it represents a welcome extension to the relatively short Kyrgyz tourism season and like events in general, generates many overnights and direct income for local people. Vasily Zalokar DMO project coordinator / Helvetas Kyrgyzstan Photo: Vasily Zalokar Holidays in Toktogul TRANSLINE Tourism Company has prepared a new eco-tourism product for the 2007 season - holidays on the shores of Toktogul Reservoir.. apricots, quinces, pears, walnuts and even almonds, grow. There is a separate dining room with a mansard, where it is possible to enjoy magnificent views of the reservoir and surrounding mountain ridge. Photo: Sergey Zavrajnov This area was chosen deliberately for the richness and diversity of its flora and fauna, mild climate and magnificent scenery. The journey from Bishkek to the camp takes five - six hours (360 km from the capital of Kyrgyzstan). On the way it is possible to see magnificent and very varied scenery: from the quiet valley of Suusamyr and the picturesque canyon of Chychkan, with its enormous blue spruce, to the snow-covered alpine mountain passes of Tyuya Shuu and Ala Bel. The basic tours offered by TRANSLINE are short treks and horseback tours. Our staff will be happy to make up individual itineraries based on two standard programmes. We offer special deals at weekends to include relaxation on Toktogul with horse riding, rowing and even small motorboat excursions. For fishermen we offer a unique route to the alpine lake of Kara Suu, with its large variety of fish. The lake is 40 km from base camp by the reservoir, along a mountain road and the riverbed of the Kara-Suu River. The good location of the camp enables you, during a long weekend, to enjoy fishing on Kara-Suu and relax by Toktogul Reservoir and its charming surroundings. Sergey Zavrajnov tour manager of TRANSLINE Here there is everything for a relaxing holiday. The comfortable cottages for 18 people (single and triple rooms) are located almost in the centre of an orchard, where apples, 5

6 Learning from experience Mongolia: prospects for Tourism Development Organization of tourism sector There is a Tourism Association of Mongolia, established in The Board consists of 9 private sector members, with only the President representing the Government. The association has around 100 members and, their office employees two full time staff, financed from annual membership fees. A new partnership model with differentiated/gradated fees is currently being considered. The main challenges are to increase / improve operations, increase international cooperation and improve synergies in the tourism development initiatives. Photo: Vasily Zalokar Mongolia is near and far at the same time. What do we know about this wonderful country? It is the motherland of Genghis Khan and there are boundless steppes and large herds of cattle. Is that all? Do we know how tourism is developing in Mongolia today? In this article I would like to share my impressions from my visit to this wonderful country and try to answer a question, which is raised by many experts: How within the past few years has this country managed to build the reputation of a well known country and become a destination for international tourists? What does Mongolia attract tourists with? The tourist potential of Mongolia is less favourable than in Kyrgyzstan and. their offers are less varied. This is due to the harsh climatic conditions. Furthermore, there is virtually no recreation tourism market in comparison to our Issyk-Kul region. Despite these limitations, Mongolia has over the past 5 years, managed to establish an international reputation as a fascinating travel destination. The main reasons and advantages are; The myth and legend of Genghis Khan are kept alive; Mongolia is located on and a stopover along the popular Trans Siberian Railway to Beijing; Cultural Tourism based on the Ger (the Mongolian version of the Yurt) and the Gobi desert. Mongolia is successfully competing with Kyrgyzstan for the adventurous (individual) traveller in some identical tourism source markets. In addition, Mongolia is already managing to accommodate medium sized tour groups often senior travellers - from various countries. Mongolia has already begun to promote the off-season, organizing an Ice Festival and a camel festival in winter and more. There is a visibly constructive atmosphere and a declared willingness to jointly promote and develop tourism in Mongolia among Associations, the private sector and Government bodies. The Goverment is officially responsible for promoting national tourism, with an annual budget in 2006 of USD 300,000 for marketing purposes. The professional approach of the Ministry in producing promotional material is significant. There is limited cooperation with private sector initiatives, but support for most initiatives, such as a new CBT project (Community based tourism). At international tourism fairs, Mongolia impresses with a very attractive, award winning stand, drawing a lot of public attention. The Tourism Information Offices in Ulaan Baatar the capital of Mongolia are one of the most impressive and advanced tourism structures in tourism. These offices (there are 3 offices) are all in prime locations, of international standard, with helpful local staff and are well stocked with various information material and consequently, very well visited. Vasily Zalokar DMO project coordinator / Helvetas Kyrgyzstan Photo: Vasily Zalokar 6

7 At first hand Tomoko Nishio: Kyrgyz and Japanese look alike! Today Japan is open to the whole world and active in international cooperation, including in Kyrgyzstan and the partnership between these countries in the humanitarian, educational and cultural spheres is getting stronger. The result of the trust both sides have in each other was the opening a few years ago of the Japanese Embassy and the Kyrgyz-Japanese Resource Centre in Kyrgyzstan. Annual days of Japanese Culture in Bishkek give us more and more information about this wonderful country. What do Japanese people know about our mountainous country? Who are they Japanese tourists? We decided to find out the answers to these and other questions from Ms. Tomoko Nishio, a journalist from the Land of the Rising Sun. She represents a weekly travel magazine, Japan/Weekly Travel Journal. Ms. Tomoko Nishio is one of the participants in the Press Tour organized by the Kyrgyz Tourism Association. - What are your impressions about Kyrgyzstan and its tourist attractions? - Kyrgyzstan is a very interesting country for the Japanese, with a pristine natural environment similar to Japan some years ago, when technologies have just started to develop and the ecology hasn t changed. The natural world of Kyrgyzstan is rich and beautiful. The mountains, rivers and lakes make this land alive and attractive. If we take into consideration the cultural aspects along the Silk Road then it will attract the attention of many foreign tourists who love history. The monuments of the past and historical places are the most interesting factors. We can relate to the Kyrgyz culture. - Where / what should we improve as the first priority, in order to attract Japanese tourists? - We appreciate the hospitality of the Kyrgyz people. Kindness is one of the ways to the heart of a foreign tourist, indeed, it s very important. However, it is necessary to take into account other factors, such as reasonable prices and international service standards, comfort and the quality of hotel service. As to national cuisine, I can say that Kyrgyz cuisine is fine for us! It s not a problem that local people do not eat much rice and seafood here. The food is varied due to the multiethnic culture. Japanese people are used to three full meals a day. I have a small comment about the accommodation in the hotels and guesthouses. Japanese people usually sleep in separate, not double beds (laughing). - Today the Government believes that tourism will develop in Kyrgyzstan. As a representative of a country that has achieved definite results in this sphere: How and to which target group can we promote Kyrgyzstan in Japan? promotional material in Japanese. Both the Internet and brochures / printed material are sources of information for our travelers. - The over 60s Japanese have the greatest potential; they are retired and have the financial means to travel. If you focus on this group of people then it would be possible to attract tourists from Japan. - What is the demand and potential for Japanese tourists to Kyrgyzstan? - I advise you to concentrate on smaller tour groups of up to 20 people and to provide Japanese speaking local guides. For individuals, I believe it is rather difficult to travel here. - Finally what was your biggest surprise during your 10-day visit? What souvenirs are you taking back to Japan? - The biggest surprise is how very similar the Japanese and Kyrgyz people are in appearance (especially their faces)! I especially liked the exchanges with local people who are so gentle and kind. They know how to be happy and love life. Of course the beautiful scenery and alpine air impressed me a lot. I am taking home an artistic Kyrgyz ceramic with petroglyphs, by Jumagul Tashiev, and a small model felt yurt since a bigger one would not fit in our small Japanese homes! - Ms. Nishio, thank you very much for this interview! The interview was conducted by Vasily Zalokar DMO project coordinator / Helvetas Kyrgyzstan - Advertising is the engine of the trade. It plays a special role in marketing tourism services. In order to attract tourists from Japan, it is necessary to produce 7

8 A list of interesting tourism fairs in 2007 We offer to your attention a list of some interesting tourism fairs in Name of the fair Date Place Contacts МАТКА 2007 Scandinavian Travel Fair January Helsinki, Finland matka@finnexpo.fi w-site: FITUR International Tourism Fair 31 January 4 February Madrid, Spain fitur@ifema.es w-site: REISEN HAMBURG International fair of Tourism and Travel 7-11 February Hamburg, Germany info@hamburg-messe.de w-site: BIT 2007 International tourism exchange February Milan, Italy expo@expocts.it w-site: ITB Berlin International Tourism exchange 7-11 March Berlin, Germany itb@messe-berlin.de w-site: INTOURMARKET 2007 International fair of Travel and Tourism March Moscow, Russia info@itmexpo.ru w-site: TUR 2007 A fair of travel and tourism March Geteborg, Sweden tur@swefair.se w-site: WTF 2007 A World Travel Fair March Shanghai, China josine.heijmans@vnuexhibitions.com.cn w-site: International Fair of the countries of tourism March Republic of Korea meetingsandconventions@astahq.com w-site: KITF 2007 The 7th Kazakh International Fair of Tourism and Travel April Almaty, Kazakhstan contact@iteca.kz w-site: ITE HK 2007 The 21st International Travel Fair June Hong Kong, China info@tkshk.com w-site: Calendar of cultural events 2007 # Month Event Description Place Organizer 1 March National Horse games Kok Boru competition Bishkek hippodrome 2 March Central Asian Crafts Fair Handicraft exhibition of Central Asian artisans Bishkek, Balazhan Children s centre CACSA 3 March Nooruz Different events in Bishkek Bishkek Government 4 April International Jazz festival Concerts, Jam sessions, master class Bishkek Government 5 May Mountain Bike Festival Mountain Bike races, and a program of entertainment Sky resort Toguz Bulak (near Bishkek) KMBA 6 June Sabantui Tatar National Fair with folk music from many of Kyrgyzstan s diverse nationalities, children games, etc. Bishkek Tatar Association 7 July Festival of Felt Witness and participate in the processes of creating weaving, felt, Ala Tash-Rabat Altyn-Kol 8 July Annual Clean Up of Son Kul Kiyiz and Shyrdaks with games and concert of traditional Music Help preserve the pristine beauty of one of Kyrgyzstan s remote beauty spots and enjoy the folklore program: traditional music, crafts, etc. Son-Kul 9 July Manas at Son-Kul A full cultural programme of Horse games, traditional cuisine, music, crafts, erecting a yurt, etc. Son-Kul Government 10 July National Horse games Kok-Boru, Kyz-Kumai, etc. Cholpon-Ata NoviNomad 11 July National Horse games Kok-Boru, Kyz-Kumai, etc. Sarala-Saz, near Kochkor 12 July International Oimo Central Asian Crafts Fair, master classes and demonstrations, theatre Tamchy, on the Festival and cinema, folk music and national cuisine tasting, fashion show, Northern Shore of Lake CACSA round table, fun competitions Issyk-Kul 13 July National Cuisine and Folklore 14 August Birds of Prey Festival 15 August Saimaluu-Tash Festival 16 August Festival of shepherds A full cultural programme of Horse games, traditional cuisine, music, crafts, erecting a yurt, etc. Demonstrations of eagle hunting and a folklore program: traditional music, crafts, etc. Visit the galleries of petroglyphs at Saimaluu Tash the Stonehenge of Central Asia horse riding A full cultural programme of Horse games, traditional cuisine, music, crafts, erecting a yurt, etc. also helicopter flights and horse riding. Jety-Oguz Manzhyly-Ata near Barskoon (on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul) Kazarman, Saimaluu- Tash Karakara Yurt Camp, Char Kuduk, in the Karakara Valley 17 August Festival of Felt Witness and participate in the processes of creating weaving, felt, Ala Kiyiz and Shyrdaks with games and concert of traditional Music Ala-Archa 18 August Kechu Festival Cultural program: horse games, tasting of national food, musicm handicraft, yurt erection, etc. Naryn region 19 August Independence Day National Kok Buro Championships Bishkek Hippodrome 20 September or Central Asian Crafts November Fair Crafts fair of Central Asian artisans Bishkek, Balazhan Children s centre 21 October Day of Arts and Craft Workers 22 November At-Chabysh 23 July International Summer School October 8th is the Day of Arts and Crafts workers and an Crafts fair/ exhibition is organized in Bishkek - on the second Sunday in October - with a competition for the best craft items. Horse races, and a full program of traditional music, crafts, etc. on the Southern shore of Lake Issyk Kul A full educational, social and cultural programme Museum of Fine Arts in Bishkek Barskoon, Tamga and Tosor Manas University, Bishkek NoviNomad Issykkul Travel Altyn-Kol KCBTA CACSA Union of Folk Arts and Crafts Kyrgyz Ate Manas University The Newsletter is issued once a quarter. The editor is not responsible for the content of the advertising material. The reference to the issue must be done in case of use. It was printed by PrintHouse Circulation: 500 units Editorial board: Tynymgul Eshieva, Damira Raeva Photo on the main page is made by Sergey Pyshnenko 8 Regarding to allocation of articles and advertisement you may contact to the following address: 231, apt. 19 Tynystanova St. Tel: , Fax: dma@elcat.kg