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Friday 22 July 2022

The Karavshin Gorge in Kyrgyzstan's Batken region is dubbed the "Asian Patagonia."
The Karavshin Gorge in Kyrgyzstan's Batken region is dubbed the "Asian Patagonia."

Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of international borders, the countries of Central Asia had pinned their hopes on international tourism to bring in revenue and create jobs.

Governments relaxed visa rules and invested in promotion. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, for instance, flew dozens of foreign influencers in to boost their image on social media. The World Nomad Games -- the "Olympics" for ethnic sports, hosted by Kyrgyzstan -- were a big success, bringing in foreign athletes and spectators and making international headlines.

The number of visitors grew. Some glowing reviews appeared in the media. CNN called Uzbekistan “a top travel destination for 2020,” while Tajikistan was featured in a New York Times article as being among the best places to visit that year.

Now, flights have resumed, borders have reopened, and COVID-19 restrictions have eased. But the tourism industry in Central Asia doesn't seem to be fully back on its feet yet.

In a live discussion on July 21, I spoke with Umeda Kurbonbekova, a mountain guide from Tajikistan and a travel agency owner, and Azamat Mamataaly-Uulu, a mountain guide and photographer from Kyrgyzstan.

We talked about the state of domestic and international tourism before and after the pandemic, country promotion, and the best places, in their opinion, worth seeing in their countries.

The alpine lake of Bulunkul in Tajikistan.
The alpine lake of Bulunkul in Tajikistan.

Key takeaways:

Umeda Kurbonbekova (Tajikistan): “The main goal during the pandemic was to make our people understand that in Tajikistan we also have great places to see. But, you know, sometimes only hiring a car for a trip within Tajikistan can cost as much as a return ticket to Dubai or Antalya. So, of course, some people don’t want to spend so much money to see their own country and history. Of course, they prefer to go abroad. We have been working a lot with younger generations of Tajiks. We offer special weekend tours for our domestic tourists.”

She recommends visiting: 1) ancient Silk Road settlements; 2) the home-museum of Muborak Wakhani in the village of Yamg; 3) and the alpine lake of Bulunkul, located in the coldest area of Central Asia.

Azamat Mamataaly-Uulu (Kyrgyzstan): “Tourism is a very attractive business. However, we don’t have real professionals in it. Sometimes it’s a really big problem to find a good guide who knows a specific area, who can speak English or maybe German and French. Sometimes, you can’t find a trustworthy driver because some are busy, some have their cars broken, or some are not at the location.”

He recommends visiting: 1) Chatkal Valley in the Jalal-Abad region; 2) Karavshin Gorge in the Batken region, dubbed the "Asian Patagonia"; 3) the Alai Valley in the Osh region, specifically, his native village of Murdash, as well as Kejige Lake, known as Emerald Lake for its color, near the village of Uch Tobo.

Listen to the full conversation here:

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Read more on the subject from RFE/RL:

Visiting Turkmenistan's 'Gates Of Hell'

Uzbekistan Turns To Foreign Social-Media Stars To Boost Tourism

Tragedy In Tajikistan: Most Humans 'Are Warm, Friendly People Who Wish Us No Harm'

World Nomad Games Kick Off In Kyrgyzstan

Follow @RFERL on Twitter so as not to miss our regular conversations on life and social change in Central Asia every Thursday at 3 p.m. in Prague/9 a.m. in Washington (7 p.m. in Bishkek/Almaty/Astana, and 6 p.m. local time in Tashkent/Dushanbe/Ashgabat).

Manas Qaiyrtaiuly, a reporter for RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, attempts to speak to a police officer in Almaty in June 2019.
Manas Qaiyrtaiuly, a reporter for RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, attempts to speak to a police officer in Almaty in June 2019.

For decades, Central Asian governments have kept a tight grip over information. State media dominate and serve as government mouthpieces rather than the public. The few independent outlets face growing financial pressures and efforts to stifle their reporting through a variety of means -- assaults, threats, arrests, and prosecution. Self-censorship is pervasive among journalists and bloggers.

Even in Kyrgyzstan, which boasts a vibrant and pluralistic media environment compared to its neighbors, press freedom has been on the decline. Independent journalists have been detained or harassed by trolls on social media. The ongoing trial of investigative journalist Bolot Temirov on drug charges bears the signs of political persecution, according to his colleagues.

As social media increasingly becomes the main source of news for citizens -- especially young people -- the governments seek to gain more control over those outlets, too. Internet shutdowns and website blocking are widespread, particularly during anti-government protests.

Last year, Uzbekistan made “online insult and slander” of the president a crime. And Kazakhstan recently passed a law obliging foreign social media networks and messaging apps to register locally, or potentially be shut down.

In a live discussion on July 14, I spoke with Asem Zhapisheva, founder of Masa Media, an independent news website in Kazakhstan that covers human rights, and Nikita Makarenko, a freelance journalist from Uzbekistan, to talk about the tough decisions they have to make in difficult work conditions, the line between journalism and activism, and the future of journalism in their countries.

Key takeaways:

Nikita Makarenko (Uzbekistan): “Self-censorship is a question of survival because there is no one actually to protect us. I can't judge anyone, any colleague, who has to stay before the red line and not cross it. And yes, it was very tough for everyone to decide whether to post about the Karakalpakstan [protests] or not, because we've seen those who tried to post -- for example, Gazeta.uz. Their stories were deleted and they were under pressure. Some of us have been directly told not to post about Karakalpakstan.

"Personally, I kept silent for two days, and I was feeling so bad because I love that region. I love its people. After two days, I started to post and felt a huge relief when I started to talk with people about them. I crossed some red lines. It's true. But no consequences so far. This is good.”

Asem Zhapisheva (Kazakhstan): “I'm not a journalist or a political activist. In the first place, I'm a citizen, and I'm a person who has rights and who wants for some changes to happen. So, as a citizen, I have my right to voice these concerns, and no one can take them from me.... If we look at history, all people who wanted changes were from very different backgrounds. There were doctors, there were workers, mine workers, teachers, students. So I see it as one of my responsibilities as a Kazakhstani citizen to make it better.

"And as it happens, I'm a journalist. And whenever I am at rallies, I never use my license. I never say that I'm a journalist. Whenever I'm detained, I never say that I'm a journalist. I always say that I'm just working. It doesn't matter where I work, or I don't use it as an excuse to avoid any kind of consequences because it would be unethical.”

Listen to the full conversation here:

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More on the subject from RFE/RL:

Majlis Podcast: Central Asia's Authorities Get Wise To New Media

Karakalpakstan In 'Information Vacuum' As Situation Stabilizes Following Deadly Unrest

'I Can't Handle Lies Anymore!' Kazakh Journalist Quits State TV, Citing Government Control

Uzbek Blogger Critical Of Government Gets Lengthy Prison Term

Inside Kyrgyzstan's Campaign To Silence Journalist Bolot Temirov

Kazakh Online Magazine Says Authorities Exerting Pressure Over Report On Rape Victim

Tajik Court Orders Two-Month Custody For Two Detained Bloggers

Media Watchdog Says Jailed Turkmen Journalist Subjected To Retaliation Over Coverage Of His Case, Calls For His Release

Follow @RFERL on Twitter so as not to miss our regular conversations on life and social change in Central Asia every Thursday at 3 p.m. in Prague/ 9 a.m. in Washington (7 p.m. local time in Bishkek/Almaty/Astana, and 6 p.m local time in Tashkent/Dushanbe/Ashgabat).

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