Kyrgyzstan-Finland Tourism Roadshow – window to Europe

Bishkek, May 19, 2021. / Kabar /. UNDP in Kyrgyzstan hosted a visit of the Finnish delegation consisting of major tourism companies and a media representative. The delegation traveled to the regions of Kyrgyzstan and had Business to Business (B2B) meetings with local travel agencies. Ambassador of Finland to the Republic of Kazakhstan and Ambassador-Designate of Finland in the Kyrgyz Republic – Mrs. SoiliMäkeläinen-Buhanist also took part in the event, UNDP in Kyrgyzstan reported. UNDP in cooperation with the Kyrgyz Department of Tourism organized the Kyrgyzstan-Finland 2021 Tourism Roadshow to present the potential of Kyrgyzstan’s diverse natural areas for adventure, eco, ethno-cultural and historical tourism to Finnish tour operators and media. The aim of the visit was to establish and strengthen business relationships between tourism companies of the two countries, find potential local partners, as well as to facilitate mutual understanding between the tourism industries of Kyrgyzstan and Finland. During the familiarization tour, the Finnish guests had an opportunity to explore Kyrgyzstan and get the first-hand experience of the country’s tourism capacities to assess its attractiveness for European tourists. Moreover, they were able to establish business relationships with Kyrgyz travel agencies who presented their tour products during B2B meetings on May 18. Her Excellency Madame Ambassador SoiliMäkeläinen-Buhanist noted that Kyrgyzstan is a unique tourist destination for Finnish travelers. "The mountains and the unforgettable experience of visiting them are very attractive for Finnish tourists, as we simply do not have such scenery in Finland. Lake Issyk-Kul is unique, but as there are more than 200,000 lakes in Finland, it is not very appealing as a beach holiday destination for Finns - almost everyone spends their holidays or lives next to lakes or seaside, and swimming is common for them. Finnish tourists, when going to Issyk-Kul, are more attracted by hiking or horse riding in the mountains with an opportunity to get acquainted with local flora and fauna. Kyrgyzstan has an amazing combination of untouched nature and unique national traditions, which may be very attractive to Finnish tourists seeking new experiences. All this untouched nature, magnificent mountains and national flavour create high added value for Kyrgyzstan’s tourism.” Tourism has potential to contribute, directly or indirectly, to all of the goals. Harnessing tourism's benefits will be critical to achieving the sustainable development goals and implementing the post-2015 development agenda. “Kyrgyzstan has significant tourism potential, and we are developing this avenue through our very successful Aid for Trade programme, supported by Finland and covering three countries in the region. Tourism can drive inclusive and sustainable economic development by creating jobs for both women and men, and it catalyses improvements in infrastructure and helps promote environmental protection. That is why I hope that this B2B exchange will not only make significant contributions to the development of business relations between Finland and the Kyrgyz Republic, it will also have a positive impact on the socio-economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era." said Louise Chamberlain, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan. She underlined that developing an enabling environment and building up the capacity of national partners to develop and promote trade was the overall objective of the Aid for Trade, one of the major projects implemented by UNDP Kyrgyzstan. WHY KYRGYZSTAN IS UNIQUE TO FINLAND According to the Finnish tour agent from Kon-Tiki Tours, Susa-Marju Huotari, many Finnish tourists are looking for new destinations, with whom they are not familiar with. Central Asia – is like a hidden gem. “We met with representatives of travel companies in Kyrgyzstan and learned more about their culture, nature and tourism products. You have ideal conditions for Finnish tourists to experience the nature as many as aspects for example, trekking, bird-watching, hiking and if you are more encouraged in adventure tourism, you can try – rivers for rafting, three 7,000m-high mountains for climbers, prepared pistes and freeride trails for snowboarders and skiers. There is a lot to see and to do, and people who travel in Kyrgyzstan can get to know more than just the surrounding countryside.” According to Mr. Samat Shatmanov, Director of the Tourism Department of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the country has a lot to offer Western tourists: "Kyrgyzstan is interesting for Europe in terms of tourism, but because of the lack of communication with some countries, including Finland, it is quite difficult to implement joint projects. So, the fact that the Finns have come to Kyrgyzstan will play an important role in the development of the bilateral tourism relations and benefit both countries". The event is especially important for Kyrgyzstan in light of the crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the tourism sector particularly hard. Representatives of all tourism service providers in the Central Asian country, including hotels, sanatoriums, holiday homes, tour operators and travel agencies, reported that tens of thousands of people had lost their jobs as a result of the measures taken to contain the spread of the virus, border closures and lockdowns. Business contacts and reliable partnerships between local travel agencies and foreign companies are crucial for international tourism, and the 2021 Tourism Roadshow provided a great platform for the representatives of the Finnish and Kyrgyz tourism sectors to connect. In the course of the B2B meetings, the participants discussed potential bilateral cooperation and the upcoming bilateral events for 2021 – 2022 to promotion of Kyrgyzstan as a tourist destination for foreign travelers.