Turkish Influencers to Help Open Kyrgyzstan to the World

A group of popular Turkish bloggers arrived in Kyrgyzstan on September 24 to promote the country’s tourism potential. Meeting the bloggers upon arrival at Bishkek’s Manas International Airport, the airport's chairman Manasbek Samidinov commented: “Today, famous bloggers from the Turkish Republic, followed by millions of subscribers, arrived in Kyrgyzstan. From September 24 to 27, they will get acquainted with our country, explore its natural and cultural attractions, and personally experience the warm hospitality of the Kyrgyz people. The bloggers will show Turkey the best of Kyrgyzstan: our unique nature, culture, and hospitality, contributing to tourism development and opening our country to the world.” On September 13, an agreement was signed to establish twinning relations between the Kyrgyz resort town of Cholpon-Ata by Lake Issyk-Kul and Turkey’s Antalya. The twinning relations between the two resort cities will open up new prospects for interaction in various areas, including investment in tourism and infrastructure projects. Kyrgyzstan is expected to receive more than 10.5 million foreign tourists in 2024, compared to 8.5 million tourists who visited the country in 2023. Around 6.1 million foreign tourists visited Kyrgyzstan in the first eight months of 2024. Most came tfrom Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, followed by visitors from Turkey, China, India, Germany, Pakistan, the United States, and South Korea. The tourism industry accounts for 2.7% of the country's GDP.

Tajikistan to Host First International Tourism Exhibition

To coincide with World Tourism Day, Tajikistan will host its first International Tourism Exhibition (DITE) in Dushanbe from September 25 to 27, 2024. Initiated by the city's head, Rustami Emomali, the key aims of the event are to promote the development of the tourism industry and the formation of a regional tourism market, and attract foreign investment. The exhibition will bring together Tajikistan's tourism companies as well as representatives of tourist industries in countries including Austria, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, China, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Qatar, and Uzbekistan, and will be complemented by an International Tourism Forum and B2B meetings where new cooperation agreements will be signed. In addition, consulting sessions will provide opportunities for hotel businesses and guides to improve their levels of service and professionalism in the industry. As reported by the Committee for Tourism Development of Tajikistan to ASIA-Plus, 748.3 thousand foreigners, of which 91.9% were residents of CIS countries, visited Tajikistan within the first six months of this year. The number of tourists totaled 580.5 thousand, 422,614 of whom hailed from neighboring Uzbekistan, rose by 19.1% compared to the same period last year.