The stark natural beauty and dramatic scenery of
Central Asia have until today remained barely
touched by the hand of tourism, and yet the region
can boast a status as one of the world’s most historicallyrich
regions.
Covering an area of some 3,994,300kmІ, Central Asia as it stands today comprises five independent republics, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, with other areas such as Afghanistan also being included under this umbrella title.
Home to some 51 million people from over 100 diverse ethnic groups, Central Asia comprises some of the most sparsely populated regions on earth, the very formula that equates to its haunting beauty and attractiveness as a touristic destination.
Director, state agency for tourism, Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, Turusbek Mamashov explained to TTG: “Kyrgyzstan is not an industrial country neither is it a highly developed destination, so our nature is clean and pure. We still have a lot of places not touched by people. This beautiful and pure nature, high mountains and mild climate is what could attract tourists to our country.”
Developing assets
Despite this element of the uncorrupt surrounding Central Asia, the region’s travel and tourism industry is making headway. With aspirations of success and popularity, a number of establishments are leading the race to recognition. Leading the way in terms of developing their natural assets to create a more attractive tourism destination is the largest of the Central Asian countries and the ninth largest country in the world, Kazakhstan. Today, over seven million people visit Kazakhstan annually. The interest of international markets in Kazakhstan is growing as the successful blend of remote, almost lunar landscapes and mountain ranges with the cosmopolitan dynamism of cities like Almaty makes for a powerful mix and a force to be reckoned with.
Deputy chairman, ministry of tourism and sports, Kazakhstan, Kenzhebay Satzhanov said: “The result of six months’ statistics showed that inbound tourism to Kazakhstan grew by 13 per cent.”
Aware of what they have to work with, the country has been rolling out a number of large-scale tourism developments over the last couple of years including the Saraya Aktau City and Beach Resort on the Caspian Sea coast. Coming in line with Saraya’s strategy of engaging globally in the world of travel and tourism, the launch of the Saraya Aktau City and Beach Resort is proof of the country’s eagerness to both invest in real estate and develop as a luxury destination.
This mixed-use community destination, comprising a five-star resort hotel, serviced villas, a spa, and villas for sale, is set to stretch over a site measuring 400,000mІ overlooking the Caspian Sea. Thanks to this location at the centre of the emerging oil, gas and tourism industries, the development is poised to become Kazakhstan’s city of energy, tourism and lifestyle. Set for completion in 2011, Saraya Aktau City Beach Resort and the planned Aktau City, a new downtown area with modern infrastructure, the opening of this development is hoped to transform this unique and undiscovered location into a world-class tourist destination.
Taking to the skies
Also pioneering the development process of the region is the airline industry in Central Asia, which is busily expanding route networks and taking delivery of new aircraft in a bid to facilitate access into the area.
Recently launched, Afghanistan-based Safi Airways is, this month, slated to extend their reach within the MENA region with plans in the pipeline for new routes and increased services.
“We are launching plenty of new routes this April including non stop routes between Dubai and Kandahar and Dubai and Mazar-e-Sherif, as well as non-stop routes between Kabul and Abu Dhabi and Kabul and Kuwait,” chief commercial officer, Safi Airways, Claus Fischer told TTG.
“We are also planning to up our daily daytime flight to Dubai from Kabul to a twice-daily, the addition of these sixtimes- weekly evening flights will exactly match the needs of those who either connect to other carriers for onward travel or come into Dubai and need to go on to Kabul, in addition all those who need to go locally now could even do a daytrip without overnight in Kabul,” Fischer added. Future plans being considered by Safi Airways include the enlargement of its fleet with some younger aircraft and a move from Terminal 2 in Dubai into Terminal 1 this summer, in a bid to facilitate its growth strategy and ensure passenger convenience. “For 2009, we foresee a growth of more than 50 per cent in passengers between the UAE and Afghanistan to around 120,000,” Fischer told TTG. Strategies to increase ease of passage between the Middle East and Central Asia are mutual and it is hoped that the growing tourist relationships between the two regions will be further enhanced by the prospective launch of direct daily flights by Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and Almaty, and the proposed commencement of a Sharjah–Almaty service by Air Arabia.
“In the near future, Etihad is also going to launch flights to Astana, the national capital of Kazakhstan,” general director, Iteca Exhibition Company, Kazakhstan, Edward Strachan told TTG.
Gearing up for business
With access opening up and visitor numbers expected to rise as a result, it is unsurprising that professionals within the region’s tourism sector are taking strides to attract business. “Our clients, including MICE companies, will benefit from free Internet connection for all participants and as usual free Internet connection for all guests when they plan and organise a meeting at Radisson hotels in Central Asia,” regional director, communications and PR, The Rezidor Hotel Group, Russia, C.I.S, Baltic’s & Turkey, Sandra Dimitrovich explained to TTG.
Iteca Exhibition Company, based in Kazakhstan, is already benefiting from Central Asia’s growing popularity as a business hub, drawing in worldwide clients to their exhibitions and meetings and forums.
“This year, the new B2B format has become trendy. It is a matter of common knowledge that exhibition efficiency depends on the professionalism of both exhibitors and visitors, and we have therefore become more active in drawing specialists to the events,” Strachan told TTG.
Of particular interest to the Middle Eastern visitor is the Kazakhstan International Tourism Fair (KITF) which annually brings together numerous companies from Egypt, Cyprus, the UAE, and Tunisia.
“The Kazakhstanis like travelling to these countries and exhibitions are known to be a common indicator which reflects the market status. We promote KITF via our ITE Gulf office recently opened in Dubai, which is in charge of our sales in the Middle East. Notably, this year is characterised by a lot of foreign companies streaming into Kazakhstan – a result of their search for new markets. These factors of course ensure successful and long-term business in this country,” concluded Strachan.
By no means limiting itself to the business tourist, the region is promoting the fact that it also has much to offer the cultural and intellectual tourist. Boasting a rich history, the region is brimming over with unique architectural and historical sites, and offers a cultural diversity that gives visitors the opportunity to retain their creature comforts in the luxurious surroundings of a five-star hotel and at the same time see how the nomadic natives live.
Central Asia also presents the intellectually-inclined with the chance to learn about the region’s struggle for independence and autonomy, providing travellers with an educationally-enriching experience.
Covering an area of some 3,994,300kmІ, Central Asia as it stands today comprises five independent republics, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, with other areas such as Afghanistan also being included under this umbrella title.
Home to some 51 million people from over 100 diverse ethnic groups, Central Asia comprises some of the most sparsely populated regions on earth, the very formula that equates to its haunting beauty and attractiveness as a touristic destination.
Director, state agency for tourism, Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, Turusbek Mamashov explained to TTG: “Kyrgyzstan is not an industrial country neither is it a highly developed destination, so our nature is clean and pure. We still have a lot of places not touched by people. This beautiful and pure nature, high mountains and mild climate is what could attract tourists to our country.”
Developing assets
Despite this element of the uncorrupt surrounding Central Asia, the region’s travel and tourism industry is making headway. With aspirations of success and popularity, a number of establishments are leading the race to recognition. Leading the way in terms of developing their natural assets to create a more attractive tourism destination is the largest of the Central Asian countries and the ninth largest country in the world, Kazakhstan. Today, over seven million people visit Kazakhstan annually. The interest of international markets in Kazakhstan is growing as the successful blend of remote, almost lunar landscapes and mountain ranges with the cosmopolitan dynamism of cities like Almaty makes for a powerful mix and a force to be reckoned with.
Deputy chairman, ministry of tourism and sports, Kazakhstan, Kenzhebay Satzhanov said: “The result of six months’ statistics showed that inbound tourism to Kazakhstan grew by 13 per cent.”
Aware of what they have to work with, the country has been rolling out a number of large-scale tourism developments over the last couple of years including the Saraya Aktau City and Beach Resort on the Caspian Sea coast. Coming in line with Saraya’s strategy of engaging globally in the world of travel and tourism, the launch of the Saraya Aktau City and Beach Resort is proof of the country’s eagerness to both invest in real estate and develop as a luxury destination.
This mixed-use community destination, comprising a five-star resort hotel, serviced villas, a spa, and villas for sale, is set to stretch over a site measuring 400,000mІ overlooking the Caspian Sea. Thanks to this location at the centre of the emerging oil, gas and tourism industries, the development is poised to become Kazakhstan’s city of energy, tourism and lifestyle. Set for completion in 2011, Saraya Aktau City Beach Resort and the planned Aktau City, a new downtown area with modern infrastructure, the opening of this development is hoped to transform this unique and undiscovered location into a world-class tourist destination.
Taking to the skies
Also pioneering the development process of the region is the airline industry in Central Asia, which is busily expanding route networks and taking delivery of new aircraft in a bid to facilitate access into the area.
Recently launched, Afghanistan-based Safi Airways is, this month, slated to extend their reach within the MENA region with plans in the pipeline for new routes and increased services.
“We are launching plenty of new routes this April including non stop routes between Dubai and Kandahar and Dubai and Mazar-e-Sherif, as well as non-stop routes between Kabul and Abu Dhabi and Kabul and Kuwait,” chief commercial officer, Safi Airways, Claus Fischer told TTG.
“We are also planning to up our daily daytime flight to Dubai from Kabul to a twice-daily, the addition of these sixtimes- weekly evening flights will exactly match the needs of those who either connect to other carriers for onward travel or come into Dubai and need to go on to Kabul, in addition all those who need to go locally now could even do a daytrip without overnight in Kabul,” Fischer added. Future plans being considered by Safi Airways include the enlargement of its fleet with some younger aircraft and a move from Terminal 2 in Dubai into Terminal 1 this summer, in a bid to facilitate its growth strategy and ensure passenger convenience. “For 2009, we foresee a growth of more than 50 per cent in passengers between the UAE and Afghanistan to around 120,000,” Fischer told TTG. Strategies to increase ease of passage between the Middle East and Central Asia are mutual and it is hoped that the growing tourist relationships between the two regions will be further enhanced by the prospective launch of direct daily flights by Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and Almaty, and the proposed commencement of a Sharjah–Almaty service by Air Arabia.
“In the near future, Etihad is also going to launch flights to Astana, the national capital of Kazakhstan,” general director, Iteca Exhibition Company, Kazakhstan, Edward Strachan told TTG.
Gearing up for business
With access opening up and visitor numbers expected to rise as a result, it is unsurprising that professionals within the region’s tourism sector are taking strides to attract business. “Our clients, including MICE companies, will benefit from free Internet connection for all participants and as usual free Internet connection for all guests when they plan and organise a meeting at Radisson hotels in Central Asia,” regional director, communications and PR, The Rezidor Hotel Group, Russia, C.I.S, Baltic’s & Turkey, Sandra Dimitrovich explained to TTG.
Iteca Exhibition Company, based in Kazakhstan, is already benefiting from Central Asia’s growing popularity as a business hub, drawing in worldwide clients to their exhibitions and meetings and forums.
“This year, the new B2B format has become trendy. It is a matter of common knowledge that exhibition efficiency depends on the professionalism of both exhibitors and visitors, and we have therefore become more active in drawing specialists to the events,” Strachan told TTG.
Of particular interest to the Middle Eastern visitor is the Kazakhstan International Tourism Fair (KITF) which annually brings together numerous companies from Egypt, Cyprus, the UAE, and Tunisia.
“The Kazakhstanis like travelling to these countries and exhibitions are known to be a common indicator which reflects the market status. We promote KITF via our ITE Gulf office recently opened in Dubai, which is in charge of our sales in the Middle East. Notably, this year is characterised by a lot of foreign companies streaming into Kazakhstan – a result of their search for new markets. These factors of course ensure successful and long-term business in this country,” concluded Strachan.
By no means limiting itself to the business tourist, the region is promoting the fact that it also has much to offer the cultural and intellectual tourist. Boasting a rich history, the region is brimming over with unique architectural and historical sites, and offers a cultural diversity that gives visitors the opportunity to retain their creature comforts in the luxurious surroundings of a five-star hotel and at the same time see how the nomadic natives live.
Central Asia also presents the intellectually-inclined with the chance to learn about the region’s struggle for independence and autonomy, providing travellers with an educationally-enriching experience.
Date:
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
