Whether escaping Almaty for a weekend, or travelling to Central Asia for the first time, Kazakhstans nature provides the perfect setting for responsible ecotourism.

Visit snow-topped mountains, deep forests, cool lakes, vast steppe and rich wildlife that combine to offer a memorable experience of nature, whether you are seeking relaxation or adventure. 

Experience the exhilaration of natures beauty, the warmth of local hospitality and a taste of everyday life rooted in a nomadic culture that places great honour on receiving guests. 

www.eco-tourism.kz provides the perfect starting point for visiting Kazakhstans natural treasures. Here you ll discover information on a range of ecotourism destinations and activities - all provided by, and supporting, local communities and environmental protection.

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE

What makes the trips promoted here different to those offered by other ecotourism operators is the genuine opportunity to meet the people who live and work in these beautiful places. 

All the trips and services offered on eco-tourism.kz are operated by local people. This means that the money you spend stays within the area, helping to provide much-needed income for the families you meet and protecting the environment you explore.
We think that will leave you feeling even better about your time in Kazakhstans nature.

Ecotourism is what all tourism should be. In the world’s biggest industry, with annual increase in people traveling abroad now 4% per year, the increase in people choosing an eco tourism holiday is 10%.

With the rise in interest, there has been a great increase in the number of studies, and people talking about the subject taking place across the world. The oldest organization the International Ecotourism Society has drawn up a definition of ecotourism:

“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people”

There is nothing dull or worthy about sustainable tourism. We go on holiday to have a good time. By taking responsibility for our actions we can still do this.

We need to:

Respect local cultures and the natural environment

Make sure local families have a fair deal, helping to spread the benefit

Recognize that water and energy are precious resources and use them carefully

Many people when they come home from their holidays say that the best part of the experience was meeting the people. This is much easier to do if you are staying in their homes, meeting their families, and finding out about the local culture than hidden away in a hotel.

That is what makes the places described in this website so exciting and rewarding.

Kazakhstan is still waiting to be discovered. We can learn from the experiences of other countries who have more knowledge of the subject. It will take time, but we would rather that than rush into things without proper preparation and planning.

It is early days for ecotourism in Kazakhstan, but already benefits are being felt. In Zhabagly in Southern Kazakhstan, more of the community are getting involved in and benefiting from tourism. People who have visited more than once have noticed that the village looks cleaner, and that villagers are keen to try out the English they have learnt.

In the villages of Ugam, where people only opened their homes to visitors in the summer of 2005, travelers who have found their way their report on the warmth of the welcome and how good it was to experience the Kazakh village life. Training will help service providers learn about the importance of working together for the whole community, the environmental impact of tourism, and the importance of re-investing their profits for the long term success of the initiative.

The distant communities of Ridder and Katon-Karagai present more of a challenge to the visitor, but that adds to their appeal. The people of Ridder have recently received training and advice from staff at the Resources centre, and are keen to welcome you to their homes.

At present few people find their way here, which makes your visit even more valuable. At Katon-Karagai the mountain festival, Belukha, which happens every two years. This is an exciting but busy time to visit.

Community based tourism in Karkaraly is in its infancy too. Selected as a destination because of the commitment of the people to working together for the benefit of all, and their concern for environmental issues, this lovely small town has the potential to be a magnet for travelers. It should particularly be of interest to the increasing population of Astana. But come and find out for yourself..

Lepsinsk has been a very popular destination, and the administrator of the organization responsible has expressed his happiness at the increasing number of visitors- 400 in 2004 finding their way to his village and helping its people towards a brighter future.

Korgalzhyn, where enthusiasts flock to enjoy the vast range of birdlife in the nature reserve, is working to develop its services. There has recently been a training course to assist them, and now they are even better prepared to welcome you.

So, at all our partner destinations, hard work is being done to ensure both that you have a wonderful holiday, and that the communities are benefiting.

But don’t take my word for it. Come and discover Kazakhstan for yourselves! Discover Kazakhstan

To find out more about ecotourism, and how you can make your holiday good for people and places, look at the following websites:

TourismConcern www.tourism.concern.org.uk

The International Ecotourism Society www.ecotourism.org

The Travel Foundation www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk

Autumn 2004 started a 2-year national initiative between the Kazakhstan Tourist Association and VSO Kazakhstan. Thanks to support from Exxon Mobil, through the Eurasia Foundation, a permanent Ecotourism Information Resource Centre has been created in Almaty, available for communities to receive support in developing quality tourism services. It also provides all those interested in visiting Kazakhstans nature with a friendly place to receive information and advice on the destinations.

www.eco-tourism.kz will keep you up-to-date with all the latest developments.