OREANDA-NEWS. June 09, 2011. IBC staff and Laurent Guy, Country Director of Swiss Cooperation Office in the Kyrgyz Republic, discussed the IBC goals and objectives in tourism. From January 2011, IBC implements the "Strengthening Tourism Business Intermediary Organizations (BIOs) for Sustainable Economic Development in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia" project (EU). The project aims at developing the tourism sector in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia and will work till the end of 2012, reported the press-centre of IBC.
 
IBC staff and Laurent Guy, Country Director of Swiss Cooperation Office in the Kyrgyz Republic, discussed the IBC goals and objectives in tourism. From January 2011, IBC implements the "Strengthening Tourism Business Intermediary Organizations (BIOs) for Sustainable Economic Development in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia" project (EU). The project aims at developing the tourism sector in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia and will work till the end of 2012.

Under the proposed action, the European Centre for Eco and Agro Tourism (ECEAT) partner with the Kyrgyz International Business Council (IBC) in order to strengthen tourism business intermediary organizations (BIO) in Central Asia with special focus on project partners, the Kyrgyz Tour Operator Association (KATO), the Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association (KCBTA) and the Tajik Association of Travel Organizations (TATO).

The project builds upon earlier EU projects which supported the establishment of regional and national BIO’s. In Kyrgyzstan the former TACIS West Tien Shan Interstate Biodiversity Projects (2001–2006) and the TACIS Issyk-Kul Regional Development Project (2003-2005) both established local CBT groups within different rural regions of Kyrgyzstan. ECEAT was involved in both projects as a tourism expert. The project also builds upon the experiences of the present Asia Invest project “Strengthening BIO’s in Tajikistan” supporting the establishment of a national tourism association and a public-private partnership co-operation structure in Tajikistan.

The project will assist to strengthen and sustain the capacity of Tourism BIO’s to promote their members’ interests and engage national and international tourism service providers; and, enhance linkages between Kyrgyz, Central Asian and European tourism associations and tour operators.

Project activities include training and coaching of Central Asian BIO’s from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Round table will be conducted on tourism development in Kyrgyzstan. Project will help to establishing a permanent co-operation structure with the national government.

Development of Kyrgyz and Central Asian tourism industry will be based on product quality standards for local CBT associations and service providers.

As a result, barriers between businesses and new state agencies will be loosened. Enhanced capacity of the regional and national tourism associations to support its members will meet the needs of the European tourism market.