Tourism as an Export: The Difference Between $230 and $1,000

Every time I travel out to the regions, I am amazed by the beauty of our land. Unique gorges and lakes, crystal-clear mountain rivers, soft and lush grass, and lots and lots and lots of clean air.

However strange it may sound, tourism is an export product, and the higher the quality of tourism, the higher the value added. A two-day tour with excellent three meals a day, safe transportation, a guide, tents and even a mobile banya (Russian-style sauna) cost me $230. In Dubai, Thailand or a similar country, such a tour would cost more than $1,000 per person.

The service the guys provided was of very high quality, simply outstanding. My thanks to them. The food their cook prepared was far tastier than what many restaurants in Almaty serve.

This difference between $1,000 and $230 is potential, and it depends largely on the environment, infrastructure, promotion and so on.

This difference, perhaps, is what our government should set as its KPI.

Let me give a couple of examples that caught my attention during the trip.

1. Mobile coverage

In these unique places there is simply no coverage, none at all. Even at Lake Kolsai 1 there is none. Coverage is, first of all, promotion. A tourist is far more likely to post a photo to Instagram, TikTok or Facebook on impulse, at the very moment of taking it, than later, once he finds a signal and the urge has passed. And social media marketing is now one of the main sources of promotion. Besides, coverage gives people a sense of safety.

2. Roads

Roads have been built only up to the barriers at the entrances to national parks; inside there are none, and you need a very good vehicle to get anywhere. There is no need for asphalt. What is needed is simply a road: a dirt road, but above all a smooth one that is constantly maintained. This is not like building an autobahn. It would not cost much, and the benefits would far exceed the cost.

3. Safety

Charyn Canyon is breathtakingly beautiful, but safety there is poor. There are cliff-edge spots with unique views. All that is needed is to equip viewing platforms, and people will come to take photos and enjoy the scenery. We were shown four or five superb locations, but it is frightening to get close to the edge. And the views there are ones you would not see even in the movies.

I could go on with this list; there are very many such small things. It is precisely such small things that add up to the difference in prices, a difference that could raise the incomes of people who have dedicated themselves to tourism.