Tourism Sector Development in Osh Region and Osh City

ARIS contribution to government programs on tourism sector development

ARIS implements its projects under the programs, strategies and plans on developing the tourism sector and attracting tourists to Kyrgyzstan approved by the President and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, in particular in Osh region. Supporting the tourism sector is one of the new directions in ARIS activities. These programs include long-term goals on infrastructure development, supporting the local entrepreneurs and improving the tourism infrastructure.

Goal: strengthening the tourism sector in the Osh Region and Osh City through strategic investments and development of tourism infrastructure.

Key tasks: 

Task

Description

Infrastructure development

Financing the projects on modernization of centers in Osh and Uzgen Cities, renovation of the Sulaiman-Too and Uzgen tourist complexes, establishment and reconstruction of parks and other tourist facilities.

Support for small and medium businesses

Providing grants and training to support small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism sector, developing new businesses and improving the quality of services provided. Development of ecotourism and ethnotourism.

Marketing

Development and promotion of tourism products, organization of events and exhibitions to attract tourists and establish international contacts.

Public-private cooperation

Attracting private investments through establishing the public infrastructure required for successful development of private enterprises in the tourism sector.

Improvement of social infrastructure

Establishing the recreational areas for residents and tourists, improving living conditions of the local population

 

Projects and Initiatives:

The ARIS key initiatives in the field of tourism in Osh region and Osh city

Initiatives

Description

1

Modernization of city centers and tourist routes

- Infrastructure modernization: Renovation of parks, theater stages and other urban facilities in Osh and Uzgen Cities, as well as the Kara-Shoro, Kyrgyz-Ata and Abshyr-Ata national parks.

- Energy efficiency and sustainability: investments include energy efficiency standards, considering climate risks.

2

Development and promotion of tourism products

- Sustainable Tourism Development Program: Program for 2024–2028 for sustainable tourism development in Osh region.

- Management plans for historical sites: development of interior design and exhibition plans for museums, recommendations to include sites in the UNESCO list.

3

Supporting the tourism infrastructure

- Construction of stops for rest (Rest Points): establishing the convenient rest areas along major travel corridors.

4

Public-Private cooperation

- Financing the infrastructure: construction of hydrogeological wells, power lines, roads and other facilities for successful functioning of private enterprises.

5

Improvement of social infrastructure

- Establishing the recreational areas: projects to create recreation areas and improve parks for local residents and tourists, facilitating to improvement of life quality and attractiveness

6

Improving tourism statistics

Support to develop Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) tables to improve accountability and decision making.

Support the National Statistics Committee by hiring two tourism statistics experts

Results:

Result

Description

Improvement of tourism insfrastructure

Works on renovation of urban centers in Osh and Uzgen Cities, modernization of Sulaiman-Too and Uzgen tourist complexes and construction and reconstruction parks and other facilities were carried out.

Improving the quality of tourism services

A training program for over 140 participants to improve tourism management and service delivery was conducted.

International cooperation

B2B meetings were held and memorandums were signed with representatives of the tourism sector in Uzbekistan, participation in the International Tourism Exhibition TITF 2023.

Preservation and promotion of historical heritage

Management plans for historical sites were developed, including recommendations for inclusion of the Uzgen complex in the list of UNESCO sites, and cooperation with UNESCO on tourism development.

Support for rural entrepreneurship

Support was provided to 120 beneficiaries through the small grants program, contracts were signed, and funds to implement business plans were paid.

Establishing the recreational areas

Recreation areas were established and parks were landscaped for residents and tourists, which facilitates to improve living conditions and increase the tourist attractiveness of the region.

Benefits from tourism sector development

Benefit

Description

Contribution to the historical heritage

Improvement and restoration of historical monuments helps to preserve cultural heritage and increase the tourist attractiveness of the region.

Education and participation of youth

Young people get the opportunity to become familiar with the history of their native land through participation in projects to restore and promote cultural sites.

Economic growth

Development of tourism sector helps to create jobs, increase income for local communities and attract investments.

Improvement of tourism insfrastructure

Infrastructure development makes tourist sites more accessible and convenient to visit, which attracts more tourists.

Improving the life quality

Establishing and landscaping the recreational areas improve the living conditions of local population and make the region more attractive for tourists.

Key points of state support for the tourism sector

Point

Description

Regional development

The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic has identified support for regional development as a key policy area in the coming decades.

Year of Regional Development and Digitalization

By Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, 2019 was declared as the “Year of Regional Development and Country Digitalization”,  emphasizing the need for enhanced efforts in this direction.

Continuation of previous initiatives

The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic is recommended to continue implementing the Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic “On Declaring 2018 as the Year of Regional Development” and the Concept of Regional Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic for the period 2018–2022.

National Development Strategy

The NDS for 2018–2040 highlights support for economic prosperity and regional development as one of its main goals, creating opportunities for regions to realize their potential.

Regional Development Concept

The concept “Unity. Confidence. Creation" identifies 20 regional cities as growth poles to support development of various regions in Kyrgyzstan.

ARIS Contribution to the SDGs (Goal No. 8.)

ARIS will make a significant contribution under SDG Goal No. 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth”. ARIS provides tools for analyzing and optimizing various aspects of the tourism industry, which would lead to creation of new jobs, development of local tourism infrastructure and improvement of staff skills working in this area. For example, modeling the tourist flows and analyzing the data, it is possible to optimize allocation of resources, personnel management and tourism infrastructure development, which will contribute to increasing the number of jobs, increasing the number of tourists, including quality of tourism services provided, and increasing the level of employment in Aiyl Aimaks and cities. ARIS plays an important role in supporting Goal No. 8 for the purpose of sustainable development of local communities in rural and urban areas.