OSCE Centre promotes development of eco-tourism in Kazakhstan
(OSCE/Sergey Pogorelov)OSCE Centre representatives, together with journalists and environmental activists, planted ash trees in Charyn national park, south-east Kazakhstan, following a meeting on developing ecological tourism on 22 April 2006. (OSCE/Sergey Pogorelov) Photo details
ALMATY, 22 April 2006 - Developing ecological tourism in the Charyn national park in the south-east of Kazakhstan was the focus of a meeting, organized today by the OSCE Centre in Almaty.
Participants, including representatives of local authorities, international and non-governmental organizations, as well as tourism companies, also discussed ways to overcome administrative and financial barriers in order to foster community-based tourism.
"Recommendations of today's roundtable discussion will be forwarded for consideration to the newly established Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan and to all relevant stakeholders," said Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Almaty Bjorn Halvarsson. "They will be also used as a basis for follow-up activities by the OSCE Centre."
Iskandar Mirkhashimov, the director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Koryk, which has been helping to restore the park's ash-tree grove for the last six years, said: "We will be able to preserve nature for future generations only if we manage to change the attitude of the people. Societies consume natural resources, but we must do more to help restore what we have consumed."
Following the meeting, which took place on the grounds of the Charyn park, participants and journalists planted more than 500 trees.
The event was organized in co-operation with the local administration of the Uigur district of Almaty region, the directorate of the Charyn national park and the NGO Koryk, and linked to the international environmental protection movements "The March of Parks" and "The Earth Day".
Participants, including representatives of local authorities, international and non-governmental organizations, as well as tourism companies, also discussed ways to overcome administrative and financial barriers in order to foster community-based tourism.
"Recommendations of today's roundtable discussion will be forwarded for consideration to the newly established Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan and to all relevant stakeholders," said Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Almaty Bjorn Halvarsson. "They will be also used as a basis for follow-up activities by the OSCE Centre."
Iskandar Mirkhashimov, the director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Koryk, which has been helping to restore the park's ash-tree grove for the last six years, said: "We will be able to preserve nature for future generations only if we manage to change the attitude of the people. Societies consume natural resources, but we must do more to help restore what we have consumed."
Following the meeting, which took place on the grounds of the Charyn park, participants and journalists planted more than 500 trees.
The event was organized in co-operation with the local administration of the Uigur district of Almaty region, the directorate of the Charyn national park and the NGO Koryk, and linked to the international environmental protection movements "The March of Parks" and "The Earth Day".