Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
124
funded; tour operators and associations cover only travel expenses and receive a free stand
inside the Kazakhstan pavilion.425
GosComTourism finances promotional activities through a) a special fund for tourism
development. This fund is financed through a special tourist tax, which is paid by tourists for
every night spent in a private apartment or room (in the case of apartments, the tourist tax
together with visitor registration is to be applied from the fourth day after arrival). And b) from
the state budget. The National PR Center is funded by GosComTourism. The UNWTO Silk Road
Programme Office in Tashkent is located in an office in the National PR Center. All the PR,
advertising, marketing campaigns, and strategies for promoting Uzbekistan as a tourist
destination, including participation in international tourism fairs, are made or coordinated by
the National PR Center. GosComTourism is responsible for financing the UNWTO Silk Road
Programme Office.
According to a recent presidential decree, GosComTourism can cover 100% of the costs of
DMOs for their participation and their stands at international travel fairs, but the detailed
process has yet to be defined. In the digital media era, an effective way to attract attention to a
new destination is inviting bloggers on FAM trips, which Uzbekistan successfully did in 2018
and 2019. GosComTourism covers bloggers’ expenses from their tourism funds too.426
The Kyrgyzstan government considers the tourism sector as one of the most critical for the
country’s economy and has therefore launched tourism development programs and action
plans for annual implementation. This year, the action plan included the Silk Road concept
development, together with neighboring countries. Funds were allocated from the budget for a
five-year period, totaling approximately $120,000. Despite the decision of the Joǵorku Keńesh
(Supreme Council) to allocate an amount of about $700,000 annually to the tourism sector, this
has not been fully implemented. Most likely, this is due to the state budget being quite limited.
However, there is a significant contribution from donors and tourism businesses. 427
Much has been done since the beginning of 2018 to strengthen ties between the governments
and NTOs of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in particular. In 2018, Kazakhstan hosted Uzbekistan
Tourism Year, and within its framework, the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for
Tourism Development, together with its Kazakh partners, carried out several activities. Within
its framework, over one hundred events were held, covering the fields of culture, arts,
literature, science, and tourism. Theater trips and folk groups, as well as pop artists, were
organized. The Days of Uzbek Literature took place in Almaty, and the Days of Uzbek Cinema
were held in Taraz, Shymkent, Kyzylorda, and Turkestan. The first Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan
Tourism Forum was held in March 2018 in Astana, in which over 200 tour operators from the
two countries attended. Similarly, the Year of Kazakhstan was launched in Uzbekistan in 2019,
and as Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan, stated, this testified to the
dynamically developing strategic partnership, growing confidence, mutual support, and
inseparability of the bonds between the two countries. 428
425 Interview with Deputy Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Tourism
426 Interview with Head of the Department of Scientific Research and Work with Educational Institutions of GosComTourism
427 Interview with Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism of
Kyrgyzstan
428 "Uzbekistan Creates Great Amenities for Kazakhstan Tourists," UZ Daily, last modified April 15, 2019,
; ibid.