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CENTRAL ASIA: Untapped Potential Beckons
Central Asia presents a mixed scenario for adventure tourism development. While Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan stand out with strong enabling environments and a commitment to climate resilience, they need to improve infrastructure and enhance their international image to attract more adventure travellers. Uzbekistan, despite its positive enabling environment, also lags in safeguarding natural areas and promoting local cultures.
Kyrgyzstan still promotes the image of outdoors, sweeping plains surrounded by high mountain peaks, it, in many ways, is similar to Mongolia. Nomads do still wander the environment moving their animals with the seasons, and in this regard it has untouched cultural aspects that many other countries have lost.
The infrastructure of Kyrgyzstan reflects a period of Soviet rule. In that regard it is often antiquated and neglected yet still works well and provides a required service. The capital of Bishkek does have an electric bus system, yet small mini-buses or private taxis seem to work better.
" Wandering several times around Osh I never felt threatened or was ever bothered by anyone," said David Perkins, a recent traveller to Kyrgyzstan speaking of the nation ' s second city. " The expectation was of a basic, but relatively safe environment and that is what it was." Kyrgyzstan is relatively safe yet is regarded as the country with the most street crime due to it being the only ' true ' democracy in the region.
Neighbouring Uzbekistan is regarded as a dilemma between the ancient and the Soviet, and in yet many ways is still to move on. However, it is regarded slightly higher than Kyrgyzstan in the overall ATDI rankings, the biggest driver being infrastructure, especially given the investment being applied to cities such as Tashkent. On the other hand, Uzbekistan ranks lower for things such as safety and culture, yet according to David the cultural aspect, in particular a city such as Samarkand is " a gem ", that is " full of history and feels much more authentic to the culture of the area."
When comparing the developing nations of the Asia Pacific region, Tajikistan ranks low, in fact just five places from the bottom.
" It ' s the country I was most anxious about," explains David. " Particularly due to the road conditions and its proximity to a heavily reported trouble spot."
Sharing a border with Afghanistan has seen Tajikistan suffer an unfair stigma applied by unfavourable media. Coupled with internal ethnic issues and disputed borders with Kyrgyzstan it ranks low and not too far
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