New Calls to Relax Visa Rules
New Calls to Relax Visa Rules
Although dropping visa requirements for some countries could make Kyrgyzstan more attractive for investors and tourists, border officials are worried about opening up the floodgates.
On August 7, the president’s Investment Council recommended that the ministry of foreign affairs revise its visa requirements for certain developed countries, with a view to simplifying them further or dropping them altogether.
In 2003, Kyrgyzstan introduced simplified visa and registration rules for 28 countries, whose citizens can get a tourist visa without a letter of invitation, or a standard entrance visa upon arrival in the country.
Speaking at the Investment Council meeting, Daniar Kazakbaev, the head of the Kyrgyz Tour Operators’ Association, noted that European countries like France, Germany and Britain were a major source of tourists but were still subject to visa requirements.
NBCentralAsia observers agree that easing visa rules for countries are a source of tourism or investment could help the economy. “It could lead to a sharp rise in the number of tourists,” said Turusbek Mamashev, the director of the State Tourism Agency.
“Tourism contributes significantly to the budget, and a visa-free regime will help increase tourism revenue.”
Foreign visitors generated over 165 million US dollars for Kyrgyzstan last year, according to State Tourism Agency figures. By way of comparison, government revenues were less than three times that figure at 540 million dollars.
Bakyt Beshimov, a political analyst and former ambassador to India, says Kyrgyzstan’s complicated visa procedures are driving many potential tourists and businessmen away.
But representatives of the government agencies that police immigration are worried that too many countries could be included in the visa-free list. Border guards officers say simplified procedures, or none whatsoever, will make it harder to keep count of the number of foreigners coming into the country. Having larger numbers of visa-free countries could also pose a security threat which the police would struggle to cope with.
Border guards service worker Talip Nurbaev, is against the proposal but stresses that if the visa relaxation does go ahead, the Kyrgyz government must identify countries that pose a threat to national security.
“In an environment of terrorist threats and other modern challenges, [lax] visa regulations must not give the citizens of one country easy access to the territory of another,” he said.
(NBCentralAsia draws opinion from a wide range of observers throughout the region)
On August 7, the president’s Investment Council recommended that the ministry of foreign affairs revise its visa requirements for certain developed countries, with a view to simplifying them further or dropping them altogether.
In 2003, Kyrgyzstan introduced simplified visa and registration rules for 28 countries, whose citizens can get a tourist visa without a letter of invitation, or a standard entrance visa upon arrival in the country.
Speaking at the Investment Council meeting, Daniar Kazakbaev, the head of the Kyrgyz Tour Operators’ Association, noted that European countries like France, Germany and Britain were a major source of tourists but were still subject to visa requirements.
NBCentralAsia observers agree that easing visa rules for countries are a source of tourism or investment could help the economy. “It could lead to a sharp rise in the number of tourists,” said Turusbek Mamashev, the director of the State Tourism Agency.
“Tourism contributes significantly to the budget, and a visa-free regime will help increase tourism revenue.”
Foreign visitors generated over 165 million US dollars for Kyrgyzstan last year, according to State Tourism Agency figures. By way of comparison, government revenues were less than three times that figure at 540 million dollars.
Bakyt Beshimov, a political analyst and former ambassador to India, says Kyrgyzstan’s complicated visa procedures are driving many potential tourists and businessmen away.
But representatives of the government agencies that police immigration are worried that too many countries could be included in the visa-free list. Border guards officers say simplified procedures, or none whatsoever, will make it harder to keep count of the number of foreigners coming into the country. Having larger numbers of visa-free countries could also pose a security threat which the police would struggle to cope with.
Border guards service worker Talip Nurbaev, is against the proposal but stresses that if the visa relaxation does go ahead, the Kyrgyz government must identify countries that pose a threat to national security.
“In an environment of terrorist threats and other modern challenges, [lax] visa regulations must not give the citizens of one country easy access to the territory of another,” he said.
(NBCentralAsia draws opinion from a wide range of observers throughout the region)
