Western Tourism Interest Grows Around World Nomad Games

More than 3,000 athletes from 104 countries gathered in Bishkek on August 31 as the World Nomad Games returned to Kyrgyzstan, a sharp increase from the 583 competitors from 19 countries who attended the inaugural event at Issyk-Kul 12 years ago. Tour operators are also seeing more Western travelers, many using the Games as the centerpiece of a longer journey through Central Asia. Around 30,000 people attended the opening ceremony before the sporting and cultural programs moved to Issyk-Kul. Ahead of the Games, Kyrgyzstan’s State Agency for Tourism Development projected more than 100,000 guests over the course of the event. Late on September 2, organizers reported that around 150,000 people had visited Kyrchyn during the first two days, though they provided no methodology or breakdown between domestic and foreign visitors. Kyrgyzstan’s foreign tourism market remains predominantly regional, with more than 95% of foreign tourists in recent years coming from neighboring Central Asian countries and Russia. Arrivals from Europe and the United States have nevertheless been rising, according to the Tourism Development Fund. Western interest in the World Nomad Games was already apparent in 2024, when packages offered by Regent Holidays and Wild Frontiers, both based in the United Kingdom, sold out months before the fifth Games in Kazakhstan. Ak-Sai Travel, a Kyrgyzstan-based tour operator, is offering two itineraries built around this year’s Games. Asked whether the company has seen a significant rise in Western visitors, its chief marketing officer, Aikanysh Akynbekova, told TCA, “Yes. We have seen growing interest from Western markets over the past few years, particularly since international travel fully recovered after the pandemic.” Akynbekova identified Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Spain, and Switzerland as the company’s strongest Western markets. She attributed the increase to improved air connections and greater media coverage of Central Asia, along with growing interest in nature and cultural travel. Demand for Ak-Sai’s Games itineraries has been particularly strong among people already considering a trip to Central Asia. Many of its Western customers are visiting Kyrgyzstan or the region for the first time and are looking for less crowded destinations and meaningful cultural experiences. “For most travelers, the Games are an important highlight rather than the only reason for visiting,” Akynbekova said. The itineraries combine the event with travel through Kyrgyzstan, including its mountain landscapes and historical sites. MIR Corporation, a Seattle-based tour operator, is running one scheduled small-group tour for the Games. Andrew Barron, the company’s director of service and support for retail tours, said 11 of the 16 places had been booked, all by travelers from the U.S. For most of the group, the Games are the principal reason for traveling, although about half are also visiting elsewhere in Central Asia before or after the event. Barron knew that roughly a third had visited the region before, but could not say how many of the others were first-time visitors. Bookings opened in fall 2025, but most were made during 2026, about half since the spring. MIR continued to receive last-minute inquiries during...