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Kyrgyzstan

Sustainable Winter Tourism Development Project

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Winter Tourism Kyrgyzstan (WTK) is a Swiss government funded project with the overarching goal to contribute to increasing decent employment and income opportunities for women and men, and in particular young people, with the perspective of year-round jobs through the development of a sustainable winter tourism value chain. The project’s ambition is to foster high economic value and low social and environmental impacts, focusing on quality services rather than quantity, with certified actors in Karakol destination.

  • Project Name
    Sustainable Winter Tourism Development Project
  • Project Phase
    2021 to 2025
  • Funding
    This project is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
  • Thematic focus
    Private Sector Development
© Helvetas / Stephen Lioy / Winter Tourism Library
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© Helvetas / Marat Danilov / Winter Sport Project Kyrgyzstan
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© Helvetas / Stanislav Stepanov / Winter Tourism Library
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Quality and safe services

The WTK project aims to help improve the business skills of Karakol MSMEs to provide quality and safe services along the winter tourism value chain. These MSMEs will propose new and safe winter tourism products such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing or they encourage their customers to visit a local fair and indulge in culinary offers. Many of those products may be offered or linked with activities in all four seasons and they are also accessible for the local population. The increase in competitiveness and diversification is projected to facilitate inclusive and sustainable economic growth and year-round employment.

© Helvetas / Stephen Lioy / Winter Tourism Library
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© Helvetas / Albina Alimova / Winter Fair Karakol
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© Helvetas / Stephen Lioy / Winter Tourism Library
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Favourable business environment and improved coordination mechanisms

Through the project’s facilitation, key institutional partners will be strengthened to support a favourable business environment and improved coordination mechanisms. This is expected to enhance the framework conditions for MSMEs and foster their inclusion, as well as integrating sustainable practices into year-round activities for the destination and thereby also including the consultation and involvement of local communities.

© Helvetas / Albina Alimova / Winter Fair Karakol
© Helvetas / Albina Alimova / Winter Fair Karakol
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© Helvetas / Stephen Lioy / Winter Tourism Library
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Implementing environmental and social practices

MSMEs in Karakol destination embed good environmental and social practices in line with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) minimum standard into their operations. Capacity building facilitated by the WTK project ensures that sustainability is addressed systematically in the destination along the winter tourism value chain and that these practices become the new normal.

© Helvetas / Stanislav Stepanov / Winter Tourism Library
© Helvetas / Stanislav Stepanov / Winter Tourism Library
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© Helvetas / Stephen Lioy / Winter Tourism Library
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© Helvetas / Stephen Lioy / Winter Tourism Library
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GULNURA DZHANYBAEVA, Project Manager Sustainable Winter Tourism Development GULNURA.DZHANYBAEVA@HELVETAS.ORG

HELVETAS Kyrgyzstan Field Office
65, 7-Liniya - Bishkek Office
124, Gebze - Karakol Office
Kyrgyzstan

Phone:+996 312 21 45 72/73/74/75
E-Mail: kyrgyzstan@helvetas.org

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