Tajik Community Based Tourism Association (TATOS) is a young Association registered in the Republic of Tajikistan. The Association was established under the European Union’s Central Asia Invest III Program – Connecting and Strengthening Community-Based Tourism Associations in Central Asia Under the EU-funded Central Asia Invest III Programme, the European Commission established a partnership with ACTED on the project Connecting and Strengthening Tourism Associations based on communities in Central Asia to develop and strengthen the capacity of intermediary organizations to support SMEs in the CBT sector in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Improving the basic management skills of intermediary organizations and developing their sectoral knowledge in the field of TPSG will allow these organizations to increase their capacity to support small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as give impetus to the entire TFG sector. This, in turn, will not only benefit tourists seeking beauty and adventure away from the usual tourist routes, but will also lead to the development of the rural economy of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as job creation and improved access to diversified incomes.
In collaboration with ECEAT, KATO, TATO and CATOS, ACTED has initiated the establishment of a national umbrella organization for CBT in Tajikistan, strengthening the activities and competencies of these organizations, and encouraging them to work together to enable them to increase their reach and influence, and raise standards, by sharing knowledge of best practices and initiatives. In addition, ACTED and its partners will build the capacity of CBT in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan by encouraging new CBT initiatives and creating new economic activities such as agritourism. In order to improve the quality, as well as the number, of existing and emerging CBT operators, quality standards and compliance training will be organized for local providers of accommodation, transportation, and tour services.
Finally, the project will create communication and coordination mechanisms between Tajik and Kyrgyz CBTs to increase the ability of these organizations to: lobby for an improved business environment for CBT development, and enable them to provide more holistic and high quality tourism services. A regional conference on tourism and rural development will be established, and joint packages and excursions will be created in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to bring together CBTs on both sides of the border.
As the quantity and quality of CBT increase, this project will expand income-generating opportunities and benefit intermediary organizations and small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as rural communities in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. And foreign tourists will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the unseen beauties of Central Asia, in the comfort of improved coordination, communication, and services provided by CBT.
