Young entrepreneurs from Nookat and At-Bashy develop tourism potential of their regions
Malika Mukambetkalieva
At the end of April 2024, the Data Incubator project held two bootcamps aimed at developing the economic potential of Kyrgyzstan's regions through increased tourism opportunities.
The tourism sector is a powerful engine for economic growth, especially in remote regions. Tourism creates new jobs, stimulates local business development and improves infrastructure.
Bootcamps were held in the At-Bashi district of the Naryn region and the Nookat district of the Osh region. Young entrepreneurs and active youth from these regions spent three days working on their business ideas to develop tourism in their hometowns.
Let's get to know our participants, their views on the problems of the regions and inspiring ideas to solve them!
Bekbolot from At-Bashy: My name is Bekbolot, I am from Bash-Кaiyndy village of At-Bashy district. My business project "Biyik Shar Camp" is a yurt camp with all amenities, located in the Kayindy Gorge, next to the highest 400 meter Shar waterfall in Central Asia.
In our region, many people are heavily dependent on herding, and traditional skills and crafts are slowly being forgotten. I believe that through tourism we can preserve our heritage and history.
Developing tourism will also help improve the infrastructure and economy of the region.
Akbermet from Nookat: My name is Akbermet, I am from Nookat district and I work as a physics teacher. Although I have no experience in tourism, I often meet foreign volunteers in my house. My business idea is to introduce tourists to the healing springs in our area to preserve their value and solve the problem of water loss.
Participating in the Bootcamp increased my interest in tourism, and now I include lessons on writing business plans (especially in tourism) in the educational program for my students.
Aisuluu from At-Bashy: My name is Aisuluu Mamatbaeva and I am the head of Umut kindergarten in Ozgorush village of At-Bashy district. We have been running a small yurt camp for two years now, receiving guests, mostly local tourists. They come as families to enjoy koumiss, milk and relaxation.
Guests marvel at the beauty of our pastures, the purity of the water, and the process of making koumiss, butter, and much more, and often want to try it themselves.
I also give master classes in cooking national dishes. Due to the interest of the guests, I have developed a business project to open a museum in one of the yurts to preserve and disseminate our cultural heritage.
Asamidin from Nookat: Hello, my name is Asamidin, I am 24 years old, I study tourism and I am an entrepreneur. I am the founder of Oimo Art Studio in Osh and work as a tour guide for OshTrips. My business idea is an eco-shop that will sell eco-friendly goods and handmade items both online and offline.
This project will be a platform to promote our products and help artisans to sell their products.
Aytunuk from At-Bashy: Hello, I am Beyshekova Aytunuk, I am 28 years old. At the moment we are running a yurt camp near Kel-Suu Lake, and we have recently opened another small guesthouse. We have been working successfully for 3 years now. My business idea is to install a coffee machine in our guesthouse, because for the last two years our guests have been asking for fresh coffee. This will improve our infrastructure and bring additional income.
Tynchtykbek from Nookat: My name is Tynchtykbek and I am the head of the computer science department at the Osh Institute of Education. Although I don't have much experience in tourism, I am very interested in its development, especially domestic tourism. In my free time, I visit little-known historical and cultural places and sometimes work as a guide for foreign tourists.
There is no quality content in Kyrgyz and English on the Internet, and tourists do not know about remote regions of Kyrgyzstan.
My business idea is the online service "Tunch Tour", which popularizes tourist destinations in Osh oblast, especially in Nookat district, by creating quality content. We want to solve the problem of lack of information in Kyrgyz and English languages, as well as provide quality photos of tourist places. Offline guide services will be available on demand.
Altynai from At-Bashy: Hello! I am Altynai, a resident of Ak-Muz village of At-Bashy district and an English teacher. I am taking my first steps in tourism. My business idea is to organize a summer camp for school children. We have a suitable land for camping and I see several problems that my idea can solve:
- 1Lack of children's camps in Naryn province.
- 2High demand for learning English.
- 3Spreading Kyrgyz traditions and culture, giving children a chance to spend time without phones and internet.
Ulan from Nookat: My name is Ulan, I am from Kyrgyz-Ata village of Nookat district, I am 30 years old. I am currently working as a leading specialist in youth, sports and culture at the Nookat city hall. My business idea was to provide balloon flights in the Kara-Koi nature reserve.
I want to create a small Cappadocia in Nookat.
The aim is to increase local interest in tourism, expand the tourist area and draw attention to our beautiful places. Participating in the Bootcamp was an incentive to take further action. Now I am actively working to realize this idea, inspired by the knowledge and support I received.
These young businessmen and women show how it is possible to develop tourism and improve the economic situation in their regions through innovative ideas and tireless energy. They are an example of how even small initiatives can have a significant impact, contributing to the development of the local community and the preservation of cultural heritage.
This project is being implemented with financial support from the UK Government for International Development. The views expressed within the project do not necessarily reflect the official views of the UK Government.