Visa Relaxation Would Encourage Tourism

Allowing foreigners from the wealthier nations to enter Kyrgyzstan without a visa will boost tourism, but the implications for national security also need to be considered, NBCentralAsia observers say.



On March 16, Turusbek Mamashev, director of the State Agency for Tourism, announced that his organisation and the Kyrgyz foreign ministry will soon be putting forward a proposal to the government to allow citizens from 28 developed nations to visit Kyrgyzstan without a visa.



Since 2002, nationals from these 28 countries have been able to enter Kyrgyzstan more easily by obtaining their visas on arrival.



Sapar Orozbakov, director of the Bishkek-based Centre for Economic Analysis, thinks the move could increase the threat Kyrgyzstan faces from extremist organisations, who could abuse the right to come in and out of the country without a visa.



But he said Kyrgyzstan should still go ahead and relax the law, because it will be good for the economy overall.



Representatives from tourist companies say that essential information should still be collected about every visitor even when the visa requirement is dropped.



“We should be aware of everyone who enters the country, about the purpose of their visit,” said Firuza Mamleeva, general manager of the Perfect tourist agency. “We have a lot of foreign visitors who are involved in wrongdoing.”



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)