Organized group of tourists from China arrives in Kyrgyzstan - first since pandemic

Bishkek, April 19, 2023. /Kabar/. A large group of tourists from China arrived in Kyrgyzstan. For the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a special tour was organized for them, the press service of the Tourism Development Support Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic said.

The group included 20 people from different cities of China. They flew from Urumqi to Bishkek.

For three days, Chinese tourists will see the sights of the Chui and Issyk-Kul regions, after which they will go home by bus through neighboring Kazakhstan, the fund said.

Earlier, the Tourism Development Support Fund in the Kyrgyz Republic held a meeting with Chinese tour operators and a representative of the Ministry of Commerce of China. The Fund staff told the guests about the country's tourism opportunities, showed them the most interesting places. Then the Chinese guides visited all regions of Kyrgyzstan and drove along the Bishkek-Osh highway. After that, the Chinese partners proposed to develop a combined tour for tourists from China. The Tourism Development Support Fund helped them organize it, and also initiated the issuance of electronic visas to Chinese tourists in a simplified manner.

“Tourists from China come to Khorgos, then to Almaty and then to Bishkek. From Bishkek they head south and then through Osh to Uzbekistan. Chinese companies offered to make a tour of three countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,” said the vice-president of the fund, Abdisait Karimbekov. He noted that the interest of Chinese tourists will help attract the attention of investors from China to projects both in tourism and in other sectors of the economy.

According to Chinese tour operators, the Kyrgyz Republic is unusually beautiful and attractive for tourists, and the simplification of the visa regime could further increase the flow of people wishing to visit here. They called for a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens or simplified short-term visas for them. Such a rule is already in force in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. According to Chinese businessmen, combined tours in the three countries in this case would become even more in demand.