Ever dream of living a nomadic lifestyle where jailoos (high summer pastures) are your living room? In Kyrgyzstan you can, thanks to the Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association. The KCBTA aims to improve rural living conditions in mountain regions of Kyrgyzstan by providing tourism opportunities that utilize local resources without harming the natural environment and local culture.
The KCBTA is facing challenges, however, mainly with winter. Since the ecotourism is based in rural mountain villages, access is difficult once heavy snowfall arrives. Thus, the KCBTA season lasts only about five months, spanning May through September.
This winter, however, things are about to change. Boulder, Colorado-based splitboarder Ryan Koupal discovered the potential of the Tien Shan Mountains, which border Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and China, during a trip in 1999. There he developed a strong connection with the nomadic people and their culture. Ten years later, Koupal, along with several partners, has initiated The Kyrgyzstan Plan.
In conjunction with the KCBTA, The Kyrgyzstan Plan’s mission is to establish a home-stay/ski touring program in the Tien Shan Mountain range in an effort to create awareness and appreciation of the country’s capability of being a prominent winter tourism destination.
Driving tourism towards rural and nomadic villages will be no easy task for TKP. The main challenge will be driving attention away from the resorts that are sprouting in the region. The Kyrgyzstan president has announced investment plans with a Korean company that will develop a new resort in close proximity to another large resort near the small village of Kerege-Tash. While the resorts will drive some local economic growth, the majority of the money will inevitably find its way into the pockets of Kyrgyz officials or outside investors from Russia, Korea and China. That is why the KCBTA and TKP are developing “locally-packaged” tourism opportunities in which ski tourists will stay with host families to deliver an authentic trip while driving profit towards the communities involved to help improve rural living conditions.
The initial villages that will be participating in the project are Ichke Jergez and Sarykamysh, which are located 35-40km east of Kerege-Tash.
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