CBTSP

The Community Based Tourism Support Project (CBTSP) exists to provide support to the Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association (KCBTA) "Hospitality Kyrgyzstan", which joins ten NGOs involved in community based tourism development throughout rural Kyrgyzstan and the "Shepherd's Life" NGO.

History

I phase:

1995-1997

Women's Promotion Project

Basic business training with further credit disbursement based on a business plan.

II phase:

1997-1999

III phase:

1999-2002

Business Promotion Project

Training and consultation for tourism service providers.

IV phase:

2003-2008

Community Based Tourism Support Project

The project expanded to ten CBT groups throughout the country. In January'03, when the KCBTA, "Hospitality Kyrgyzstan" was registered, the project changed its name to the CBT Support Project, as its primary goal is to establish the long-term viability of the nationwide KCBTA.

Rural Population Needs Orientation

Due to a deteriorating infrastructure and the lack of access to markets, the CBTSP supports the KCBTA, "Hospitality Kyrgyzstan" in investing primarily in marketing support and the capacity-building of tourism development.

Emphasis is on strengthening the established tourism organizations and giving them institutional and organizational support.

The Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association "Hospitality Kyrgyzstan"

The Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association (KCBTA) is a membership-based association of community based tourism enterprises in rural Kyrgyzstan. The KCBTA includes local CBT groups from Naryn, Issyk Kul, Talas, Osh and Jalal Abad oblasts.

The KCBTA aims to incorporate Community Based Tourism into the mainstream tourism industry.

The association provides support to its member organizations by way of marketing, training and organizational development and also represents its members' interests in policy development at the national level and in negotiations with the mainstream tourism industry.

A quarterly newsletter, "Tunduk", issued by the KCBTA to tourism organizations and enterprises, supplies following information:

CBTSP and KCBTA activities in tourism;
changes in the laws concerning small businesses in tourism;
expert opinions;
interviews with successful entrepreneurs and other essential information for businesses.

Training

At present, KCBTA provides the following paid training:

Business: business management, marketing, business plan development and taxation.
Tourism: quality customer service for front line staff, trekking guides, international cuisine, hospitality training, courses for drivers, tourism marketing, product development, pricing and promotion, quality monitoring and tourism planning.
Institutional building: project cycle, conflict management, organizational management.

Training can be arranged for groups of not less than ten people. Training follows clients' needs.

Cooperation with mainstream tour operators

KCBTA actively co-operates with tour operators in Bishkek - Novi Nomad, initiated by Helvetas and set up by a former CBTSP consultant, among them. Tour operators promote CBT services of high quality adventure and eco - tourism in Western Europe. Partnership between tour operators and the KCBTA guarantees market linkage of the CBT groups to external tourism markets, making its services available to package holidaymakers, as well as individual tourists.

CBTSP in brief

Project duration (phase IV):	2003 - 2008
Financial commitment:	USD 19,000 p.a. (approx.)
Donor and implementing agency:	Helvetas Switzerland
Partners and beneficiaries:	Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association; those already existing and new CBT groups; organizations in rural areas

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