Kylychbek Rysaliyev, President of the Tourism Development Support Fund in Kyrgyzstan, held a meeting with Nicolas Faye, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Kyrgyzstan, to discuss bilateral cooperation in tourism and initiatives to protect Kyrgyzstan's natural and cultural heritage.
Ambassador Faya highlighted the strategic role of tourism in fostering closer economic relations between Kyrgyzstan and France. He emphasized France's interest in promoting Kyrgyzstan as a travel destination, noting its appeal to both young adventurers and retirees due to its unique landscapes and cultural richness. However, he pointed out that the absence of direct flights between the two nations remains a key challenge, while expressing optimism about resolving this issue to boost tourist arrivals.
The discussions also centered around the "Three Peaks" project, an initiative pivotal to Kyrgyzstan's tourism strategy. Ambassador Faya stressed the French Embassy's commitment to supporting this project through expert guidance.
Rysaliyev echoed the importance of the "Three Peaks" project, describing it as a collaborative effort of the Tourism Development Support Fund and its partners. He stressed the value of international expertise in enhancing the quality of tourism initiatives, drawing on France's success in making tourism a contributor to its GDP.
Environmental sustainability emerged as a critical theme during the meeting. Rysaliyev shared insights from his participation at the COP-29 conference in Baku, where he presented a glacier preservation and restoration project. He revealed alarming statistics, stating that Kyrgyzstan has lost approximately 15% of its glaciers in the past 10–15 years and nearly 30% since the 1970s.
“That is why, within the framework of our fund projects, we plan to pilot a component aimed at saving and restoring glaciers. We hope that this project will receive international recognition, because only by joining forces can we preserve nature,” said Rysaliyev.
The Tourism Development Support Fund remains committed to fostering environmentally sustainable tourism while safeguarding Kyrgyzstan’s natural assets.
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