OCA#51 TOURISM

OCA MAGAZINE

BUILDING THE LANDBRIDGE WITH EURASIA

GULCHEKHRA-BEGIM MAKHMUDOVA

THE SPIRIT OF THE GREAT SILK ROAD TREASURES

THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AS A NEW DRIVING FORCE FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF KAZAKHSTAN NEW MODEL OF TOURISM FOR THE NEW UZBEKISTAN DISCOVERY TRAVEL FORUM: UNBOXING THE BRAND CREATE A HYPER-LOCAL WORLD

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MAGAZINE

BUILDING THE LANDBRIDGE WITH EURASIA

OPEN CENTRAL ASIA MAGAZINE #51 / 2024

Cover: Gulchekhra-begim Makhmudova See p.6

MAGAZINE PUBLISHED FOR EURASIAN CREATIVE GUILD

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PUBLISHER@OCAMAGAZINE.COM WWW.EURASIANCREATIVEGUILD.UK WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM

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EDITORIAL OFFICE

SILK ROAD MEDIA SUITE 125

43 BEDFORD STREET

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ISSN 2053-1036

ESTABLISHED 2009

PUBLISHER MARAT AKHMEDJANOV

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NICK ROWAN

GUEST EDITOR FRANCESCA MEPHAM

EDITOR’S ASSISTANT

TAINA KAUNIS

DESIGN

ALEXANDRA REY

EDITORIAL TEAM

GARETH STAMP

DR. AL ARTAMAN U.A.E & C.A.

CONTRIBUTORS

TAINA KAUNIS

ARTEM KLYKOV

IRINA KHARITONOVA

AK SAI TRAVEL

SHUKHRAT ISAKULOV

NATALIE BAYS

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM OF THE MINISTRY OF SPORTS AND TOURISM OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

GREGORY SCHAEFER

Disclaimer :

ECG BOARD

MARTA BRASSART - CHAIRMAN

MARAT AKHMEDJANOV - VICE CHAIRMAN

ADVISORY BOARD

LUSINE ALEKSANYAN, ARMENIA

MIKHAIL KUNITSKY, BELARUS

NINA YAGOLNITSER, ISRAEL

SALTANAT KHAMZEYEVA, KAZAKHSTAN

AZIM AKMATOV, KYRGYZSTAN

SARIYA MAMMADOVA, AZERBAIJAN

MARINA SHKROBOVA-VERNALIS, RUSSIA

GULSIFAT SHAKHIDI, TAJIKISTAN

NATALLIA LIPATOVA, BULGARIA

LARISSA PRODAN, US

ANNA HARRINGTON-MOROZOVA, UK

BRUCE GASTON, FRANCE

NATALIE BAYS, UK

AL ARTAMAN, UAE

BRUCE GASTON

MARAT AKHMEDJANOV

FARKHOD TASHTEMIROV

JESPER FRANCL

GULCHECKHRA-BEGIM MAKHMUDOVA

NICK ROWAN

GARETH STAMP

DISTRIBUTION

TIMUR AKHMEDJANOV

The information contained in this publication is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by OCA Magazine and while we endeavour to ensure the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability or suitability of the information, products, services, or related graphics represented for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

All authors provide their own material and any opinions contained within are solely those of the authors and do not neccessarily represent the views or opinions of OCA Magazine.We publish these views as part of our provision of a forum for discussion and readers should be aware that the views may contrast each other in the pursuit of this aim. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of material contained within this publication.

Special gratitude for cooperation and support to: Embassy of Azerbaijan to the UK Embassy of Belarus to the UK Embassy of Kazakhstan to the UK Embassy of Kyrgyzstan to the UK Embassy of Russian Federation to the UK Embassy of Tajikistan to the UK Embassy of Turkmenistan to the UK Embassy of Uzbekistan to the UK CATBIG

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FROM THE EDITORS

OCA MAGAZINE CELEBRATES 15 YEARS

Fifteen years ago, we embarked on a journey to redefine how the world views and engages with Central Asia. As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of OCA Magazine, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable journey that started in 2009 in the basement café of a shopping centre. There, publisher Marat Akhmedjanov, and I plotted how we could bring the splendours of Central Asia to Europe and shortly afterwards we launched Open Central Asia magazine. This milestone is not just about the passage of time; it’s testament to the region’s vibrant cultures, incredible history, and the speed of development and integration into the global stage that has surprised and delighted me in equal measure.

When we first set out, our mission was clear: to create a platform that would delve beyond the (very few) headlines and offer a more profound understanding of the diverse tapestry of Central Asia. Over the years, we’ve evolved, adapted, and embraced new horizons – just like the region we passionately cover. We’ve be-

come an integral part of the community that forms the Eurasian Creative Guild and we proudly showcase members’ creative efforts as well as bring quality journalism and opinion about the events that matter to the region politically, economically and culturally.

The very first edition that we wrote was largely articles written by Marat and me. Nobody knew the magazine and therefore nobody knocked on our door eager to write their story. We thought there might be appetite from readers to discover more about the region, but we didn’t know for sure. We were fortunate that the embassies and trade organisations already set up to cover parts of the region embraced our initiative. With time came recognition and we expanded our coverage to the whole Eurasian region. We expanded coverage to include Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as Mongolia and China. Today we, sadly, cannot publish all the articles that we would like to as contributors give their thoughts and expertise to a wide-ranging set of topics. In time we transitioned from a quarterly print run to the digital realm. Our online platform allows us to reach a wider audience, connecting with readers across the globe who share our passion for Central Asia. It’s heartening to see how our community has grown and diversified, mirroring the inclusivity we champion in our content.

What sets OCA Magazine apart, therefore, is not just the stories we tell, but the bridges we build. We’ve become a meeting ground for different cultures, a place where East and West converge, where understanding replaces ignorance. I’m proud of the role OCA Magazine has played in fostering connections, sparking dialogues, and encouraging a deeper appreciation for the nuances of Central Asian identity and how it can both exist and thrive in today’s world.

Tourism in the region has also grown significantly –officialdom has seen sense and many countries have removed or simplified visa requirements. There is so much natural beauty and history to discover. For years only the adventurous and patient were able to discover the magic of Central Asia. Today, however, the region is more and more accessible and legendary cities like Samarkand and Bukhara now regularly feature in Western travel magazines. Adventure tourism is thriving in places like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan whose stunning mountain vistas rival those of the Alps but mix it with hospitality that is unrivalled.

In the spirit of reflection, let’s take a moment to appreciate the incredible diversity that has graced our pages. From the nomadic traditions of the Kyrgyz steppes to the vibrant bazaars of Uzbekistan, every story told in OCA Magazine is a testament to the kaleidoscope of experiences that define this incredible region. Looking ahead, our journey continues. The next 15 years promise even more exploration, discovery, and celebration of Central Asia’s past, present, and future. I’m excited to see how our community grows, how our stories evolve, and how OCA Magazine continues to be a beacon of cultural resonance.

To all our contributors, readers, and supporters, thank you for being a part of this incredible journey.

Nick Rowan Editor-In-Chief

Open Central Asia Magazine

Welcome Word

I sit writing this Guest Editorial with such joy and pride for my industry. Creativity and Tourism is what we all share, which brings us together as a constant thread in our lives. Whether it be the timeless plays of Shakespeare or learning about legendary mythical Central Asian figures, both of these invoke adventure!

Huge thanks to OCA Magazine for asking me to be its Guest Editor for this very special edition, with such exciting and soul-nourishing content.

Let’s always remind ourselves what the Arts has done for us in our lifetime and celebrate creativity every day! Enjoy the issue!

Francesca Mepham Guest Editor

THE SPIRIT OF THE GREAT SILK ROAD TREASURES

Gulchekhra-begim Makhmudova is one of the most important women in Uzbekistan and the CIS countries in the field of culture, beauty and perfume. She started in 1985 as a producer of the international tours for Uzbek creatives - InterDay of Culture, then ran her own BEGIM World with luxury perfume and cosmetics brands distributor in Uzbekistan in 1990, and now she is a successful businesswoman, writer, cultural activist promoting Renew Silk Road around the world and the Eurasian Creative Guild Guardian.

OCA: How did you come to work in such an amazing field as perfumery?

Gulchekhra-begim Makhmudova: When I was a little girl, I accidentally broke a bottle of my grandmother’s Guerlain perfume. My grandmother was very upset and I cried with her, so I hugged her and said, “Don’t cry, please, when I grow up, I’ll give you a car full of perfumes! And in 1990, when the great couturier Yves Saint Laurent offered me a choice of many directions to become his official representative in Uzbekistan, I chose perfume. Then, of course, other brands began to contact me. My grandmother lived to be 102, and I kept my promise by giving her a car full of perfumes.

OCA: You produce your own BEGIM brand perfume in France, and it is not just about aesthetic pleasure or self-expression. It’s also about the knowledge of the great treasures of the Silk Road. What makes it so unique and sophisticated?

GM: Story-perfume is a perfume that reveals the great treasures of world civilisations. That is very important. For me, it is about history and values, the history of culture. It includes the KohiNur diamond, which still shines in the crown of the United Kingdom, and the Temur ruby and many others.There are so many adventures. And for me, it’s deeply connected to the culture itself, like practices and ingredients. The team and I are looking for the very rare ingredients that our ancestors used thousands of years ago to heal pain, to bring happiness, to give peace or courage, and to inspire the great achievements of

both ordinary warriors and great emirs. For some plants you have to go as far as the plateau of Machu Picchu because they grow nowhere else in the world. This is how my collection of paired perfumes from the ‘Begim Perfumes - Treasure Collection’ came about, including ‘Samarkand Spirit’, ‘Bukhara Spirit’, ‘Ruby of Temur’, ‘KohiNur Diamond’ and ‘Silk Road’.

OCA:You’re a successful businesswoman, running a big brand, developing perfumes and beauty products. And at the same time you’re writing books. How did the idea of becoming a writer come into your life?

GM: I can’t help it. For me, there are books, perfumes and stones. When I work with perfumes, I understand that they are scents from the depths of our history. They open and refract in very different ways. For me, this is a fairy tale, so I write fairy tales, and mystery, adventure and romance, so I write detectives. Fragrances affect the subconscious very deeply, they create a strong reaction, starting with emotions and ending with new ideas and fantasies. I have a scientific education as an art critic and theatre expert with knowledge of the English language, I have completed international UN courses, and this has also inspired me to write a trilogy of detective novels about the historical treasures of the East “Flask of Crystal Hookah”, as well as four books of fairy tales for children “Adventures Of The Spirit Of Time” (journey along the Great Caravan and Maritime Silk Road).

OCA: What is your vision of your creative work as an author?

GM: I would like to see the implementation of my ideas in the format of a large-scale immersive edutainment (education + entertainment) show. An edutainment theme park provides both the knowledge and the pleasure necessary for the growth of future generations. For me, as a mother and grandmother, it is very important that children know their history, their roots, and that they move forward to progress and peace. That is why I am now actively working on the SILKROADLAND project - an edutainment park similar to Disneyland but built around the oriental characters of the Great Silk Road. A memorandum on the project was signed in Qatar in February. Many countries have already shown great interest, and the project has attracted the largest company ‘Voltere by Egis’ (France) - the main consultants-managers of world-famous theme parks - who have drawn up the business plan and visualisation of SILKROADLAND. But that is only part of the plan. As with Disneyland, I also want to bring my characters to life, make an-

imated films based on my children’s books and am now in talks with possible partners in various countries.

OCA: What helps you to be successful? What advice would you give?

GM: First of all, every woman has to be in love. I even wrote a song for one of my anniversaries - ‘Put your love in a baby’s heart’, so that when they grow up they can share it with others. Always stay curious, try to know everything. Sometimes I get excited about all sorts of questions, like who was the first person to dig the Egyptian pyramids. It seems like but why do I need that? But I learned that Sheikh al-Mamun was the first to excavate the Egyptian pyramids and found a magical treasure, and that inspired me for another project I’m working on. Another important thing is courage. The ability to go forward with an open heart and give happiness to the people around you and to future generations is one of the most important qualities necessary to achieve success in life... My motto is AMORE-BONTE-CULTURE-BEAUTE.

Since 2006

contemporary books

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DISCOVERY TRAVEL FORUM: UNBOXING THE BRAND

The practice of international and local conferences is not new. It is a very effective way to focus on a particular issue or area of research and to get multiple views to discuss. But as soon as we shift the POV from discussing the topic in general to some very practical decisions and troubleshooting, we have a kind of bottleneck. On the one hand we have international summits and forums and etc with a very broad agenda and a lot of common toolboxes that are directly useless for any single region (the smaller the region, the less things to do it can get as a summary). On the other hand, local events are deeply linked to the situation within the region and often have no capacity to rise above it. That’s not to say they’re all useless, not at all, just not as effective at troubleshooting as regions need them to be.

What is the solution? Let’s take a look at the experience of the OCA Magazine project called Discovery Travel Forum. It has a history of more than twenty years and was designed specifically for the development of the tourism sector in Central Asia and the CIS countries.

In 2023, we changed the format from a classic panel and workshops with international speakers for the local audience to a hybrid of roundtables, brainstorming sessions and case studies where world experts, local officials, business and community work together on very practical issues and share their experiences with each other.

The first ‘strategic session’ of its kind took place in 2023 in Burabay National Park and Resort, Kazakhstan, and included two key steps. The first was an in-depth analysis of the picture of the region in detail, which was essential for setting the goals of the Discovery Travel Forum. So, in June 2023, the OCA team held a round table with the officials and hoteliers of the Burabay region. The main focus of the conference was the question: what do international tourists expect from a trip to Burabay and what are they willing to pay for? Participants at the event received an answer from a highly experienced traveller, Gareth Stamp, originally British, living in Bulgaria and working in the UK, Kazakhstan

and now Nairobi for many years. He pointed out that the demographics of tourism are changing and that the modern, well-to-do traveller is someone over 45 who is not looking for adventure, but is also not looking to just relax in a spa (especially as Central Asian countries cannot yet offer these services at least at the same level as resorts in other parts of the world). “We want to show our friends unusual photos, souvenirs and handicrafts. After all, we want to share great stories,” says Gareth. That’s why the region needs the brand to attract not only inbound tourists and backpackers, but also the international affluent audience.

The second stage was the Discovery Travel Forum (DTF) itself in September 2023. The group of experts from the UK, Poland, Finland, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan arrived in Burabay a few days before the DTF to take a look at the region. They had plenty of time to immerse themselves in the tourist life of the town of Shchuchinsk (one of the most expensive zones of the resort), so at the session they built their presentations around the pool of observations. The local speakers - hoteliers and community activists - shared their vision of the problems of tourism in the region.

The local participants pointed out that in Burabay all agents of a market are out of sync, and this is one of the main problems. Officials write some programmes based on European experience, but not based on the regional specifics, each hotel and resort plays its own games fighting for the current inbound clients, and a community does not know how to attract tourists. Natalie Bays, the director of NoCollective (UK), made a comparison between the city of Shchuchinsk and Romford (London) as tourist destinations. Natalie is one of the active business communities in Romford, influencing its cultural and economic development, so she has a lot of successful cases of destination marketing to share with the participants. First of all, you need to build a local business community working on investment and development in Burabay with a common strategy to inform each other. And you should involve the locals more, that is the most important thing

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to survive in the area,’ she said. The same position was discussed by Adam Siemienczyk, who has experience in both the UK and Poland. He spoke more about local services as an important part of the economy of experience.

Marina Bashmanova, one of the most experienced figures in experiential and creative tourism in Kyrgyzstan, gave a colourful and highly informative presentation on art tours, their economy and impact on the region. It was the key point of the DTF where all participants got a new perspective for the development of the region. Marat Akhmedjanov, publisher and founder of the Eurasian Creative Guild, also shared his twenty years of experience in publishing travel guides and promoting the territories through literature, visual arts and international events such as festivals and forums.

All the cases and solutions were discussed by the speakers representing Kazakhstan - Elena Bezrukova, business coach on HoReCa from Almaty, Artyom Volsky, one of the most successful hoteliers of Burabay resort, and Nadezhda Atremieva as a blogger and social activist of Burabay. All colleagues noted that the session gave them a lot of real solutions to put into practice. At the same time, the session allowed us to identify some serious limitations that make growth very slow and ineffective. First of all, it’s the lack of ex-

perience of HoReCa business owners in this area. Most owners invested in the “boxes” and expected a very short-term ROI and low re-investment, which doesn’t work well for the sustainability of the tourism sector.

This strategic session shows the highest effectiveness in terms of unboxing the region in 3D format and discussing the use of all technologies and practices directly with experts.

by Taina Kaunis, an expert in integrated marketing communications and branding

OF SILK ROAD MEDIA

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TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE CENTRAL ASIAN REGION: KEY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The Central Asian region, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is famous for its picturesque landscapes, diverse cultures and rich history. In recent years, the region has emerged as a promising destination for international travellers seeking unique experiences in remote locations. The cultural heritage, eco-tourism, adventure and wellness sectors will continue to grow and attract new visitors.

The rapid development of tourism is uneven and usually reveals some gaps in the industry landscape and can be used as a point for further improvement of initial plans and strategies.

Most of these challenges are organic to relatively new and rapidly developing destinations, and the only strategy is to turn them into opportunities through longterm planning and systematic implementation. They are clearly recognised by regional governments and key stakeholders, and great efforts are being made to improve them, although it’s a never-ending process.

1) Infrastructure development

Central Asian countries have made significant investments in infrastructure development to improve accessibility for tourists and enhance the overall tourist experience. Airports have been modernised and new ones built, such as Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in Kazakhstan and Samarkand International Airport in Uzbekistan. Road networks have been improved, making it easier to travel between cities, and attractions and accommodation have been developed. Global hotel chains are already present in the region, with more than 60 properties currently operating and more in the pipeline for the next few years.

2) Heritage conservation

The preservation and restoration of historical sites and cultural heritage is a priority in Central Asia. Preserving and restoring historic sites and cultural heritage is critical to attracting tourists. Governments and organisations in Central Asia are actively investing in these efforts to provide an authentic and immersive experience for visitors. Uzbekistan’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the historic centres of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, have undergone extensive renovations. Kazakhstan’s Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum and Kyrgyzstan’s Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain have also received attention for their conservation.

3) Regional cooperation

Central Asian countries have recognised the importance of regional cooperation in promoting tourism. Initiatives such as the Silk Road Tourism Development Association, which includes member countries and international partners, are promoting cooperation in marketing, infrastructure development and policy frameworks to unlock the region’s collective potential. They focus on joint marketing campaigns, sharing best practice and facilitating cross-border travel to maximise the potential of the Silk Road route.

But none of the above challenges, however important, can be met without mentioning the crucial one - the quality of human capital for the tourism industry and services.

The education system is the foundation for this. While tourism and related sectors are developing rapidly with their needs for professionals, the education system itself is more conservative and not as flexible to respond to the current demands of the industry. Higher education is primarily focused on academic indicators and quantitative parameters rather than the needs of the industry, although some universities have successfully implemented contemporary curricula and collaborated

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with global institutions for joint programmes and dual diplomas. But the results of this activity won’t be seen very soon, it’s a long-term perspective.

In order to support the industry with quality human capital, educational institutions should be organised as a system, involving young people in discovering and enjoying the tourism, hospitality and service sectors before entering universities. Foundation and induction courses for secondary school students will enable them to make sensible choices for further education and a successful future. But a major role in providing professional human capital for the industry should be played by vocational education and training - with narrower and more practical modules, short-term programmes, industry partnerships and educational support from globally recognised players.

The next issue is that young people often do not see the tourism sector as prestigious enough for their careers and are not satisfied with the offers and salary levels after graduation. In this case, the sooner they start taking real steps into the industry, the sooner they will master their skills and improve their career path.

What is more, once they are in the industry, they will return to education to update and refine their skills, to acquire new relevant tools for their own projects and, for some of them, to continue as certified coaches or trainers.

So, the concept of lifelong learning, truly linked to the specifics and needs of the industry, is the most relevant strategy for the quality of human capital. With this in mind, many new hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and related services will be opened and operated in the Central Asian region in the coming years. And in order to make it happen with a consistently high level of service, we should start today to implement the best contemporary educational practices, involve the young generation to enjoy tourism and create their successful careers, along with building a sustainable future for Central Asia.

by Artem Klykov, PhD, MBA Professor of Tourism Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, Samarkand SWISSAM University, Saint Petersburg

THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AS A NEW DRIVING FORCE FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF KAZAKHSTAN

We use the products of the creative industries every day: for example, when we look at social media, watch films, listen to music, walk around town or go shopping.The creative economy sector includes art, design, fashion, animation, computer game development, architecture and urbanism, film, television, new media, music and sound design, marketing and communications, publishing, journalism, creative education and others. Creative industries are one of the key drivers of the modern economy. The 29.5 million jobs in the creative industries are more than the automotive industry in Europe, the US and Japan combined (25 million).

For a long time, creativity in Kazakhstan was considered an unprofitable endeavor. But the situation has changed. Creativity is in demand in many areas of life, especially after the pandemic.Today, to make a profit, companies need to stand out - to create a unique product, to find new ways of interacting with customers and to keep them interested. Creative industries help solve these problems. Creative industries grow even in times of crisis because there are no fixed factors of production - it is the creative activity of people that needs brains. This creates new businesses, which in turn create new jobs.

Today, 95 thousand people are employed in the creative industry, investments in fixed capital amount to 33.3 billion tenge, the number of operating business entities is 32 thousand units, and the contribution of the creative industry to the economy of Kazakhstan is about 2.7%. Creative industries are developing in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent. In

general, creative industries have a positive impact on public life and we need to strengthen our work in this direction.

Creative industries have a high gross value added. Over 10 years, this indicator has tripled in Kazakhstan, but the share of the creative industries in Kazakhstan’s GDP has remained the same - around 3%. For comparison, countries with developed creative economies spend on average 19 times more than Kazakhstan on supporting the creative industries as a percentage of GDP. Today, the problem of developing the creative economy in Kazakhstan is being actively studied and various solutions are being sought. The state also understands the need to develop the creative economy.

On 30 November 2021, the Government of Kazakhstan approved the concept of development of the creative economy for 2021-2025. According to this document, by 2025 the contribution of creative industries to Kazakhstan’s economy should increase to 5%; employment in creative industries - up to 4%; the number of SMEs in creative industries - 1.5 times.

The concept is expected to result in the creation of 30,000 new jobs and an increase in exports of creative industry products by $200 million. Since the beginning of 2022, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Department of Creative Tourism and Creative Industries of JSC “NC “Kazakh Tourism” have been working on promoting the legislative inclusion of creative industries in the Law “On Culture” and

the Code of Entrepreneurship. The head of state signed a law formalizing the concept of creative industries in Kazakhstan. The task of developing creative industries was outlined by the President in his address to the people of Kazakhstan.The key principles of development should be the equality of academic (museums, biennials, exhibitions, public art) and market integration (auctions, fairs, galleries, art consulting), where the development of art and its commercialization (monetization) will be equally important for the state, as well as the maximum removal of industries from the shadows.

When we talk about the development of creative industries in the regions, there are already a number of positive effects. For example, the increase in the cost of housing in the area of the main attractions. Such attractions can be creative clusters and visitor centres, guesthouses, etc. In Astana, the creative centre Ozge Epic gathers creative intellectuals on its premises. It hosts theatre productions and creative evenings that address important social issues. At the end of 2023, the Art Hub

Amanat creative centre was opened in Shymkent. This is a successful and colourful project aimed at developing and supporting Made in KZ products. It showcases the products of Kazakh producers of clothing, textiles, footwear and accessories. It also hosts master classes, fashion shows, music and creative evenings. Now that centre is looking for an investor to open a special gastronomic café.

It is worth noting that Kazakhstan’s gastronomy is also becoming extremely interesting for the local and global market. For example, the city of Almaty was ranked 25th in the prestigious list of “52 places to visit in the New Year” published by the New York Times. “The growing importance of gastronomic culture is increasingly visible in Almaty. The ‘neo-nomadic’ cuisine, based on flour, water and meat, is taking on innovative forms,” the publication notes. Many have already heard of Tary Ethno cafe, one of Kazakhstan’s most popular cafes, which has expanded its presence by opening a branch in Chicago in October 2023.

More generally, creative clusters and cities attract citizens and tourists and serve as a platform for the manifestation of local entrepreneurship. According to the Office for National Statistics, as of 1 January 2023, the creative industry included 248.2 thousand active legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, or 13.8% of all legal entities and 13.1% of all individual entrepreneurs.

To date, major local and international projects have been realized in the country. A breakthrough project was the release of the first virtual clothing collection for the physical brand Global Nomads in cooperation with the agency Digit IN, which was placed on the NFT platform and became the start of a new project - the Astana Ballet Theatre plans to create a collection of virtual ballet costumes and place them on the NFT platform. The Digital Bridge International IT Forum in 2023

brought together more than 30,000 participants, including delegations from 30 countries, representatives of more than 300 IT companies, 450 speakers, more than 100 investors and business angels, and more than 150 start-ups. I moderated a session on creative industries with Timur Bekmambetov, Ernist Umetaliev, Ernar Kurmashev, Mikhail Bychenok and Olzhas Baimagambetov. Each of the speakers represents different areas of the creative industries and works with famous artists around the world. And all participants noted how the situation in this segment has changed positively in our country over the last 2-3 years.

Today, countries, cities and regions within the country, as well as individual companies, are competing for the best specialists, leaders of extraordinary ideas and creators of innovations. I would say that “creativity is a national trait of Kazakhstanis” and we can make a powerful breakthrough through the creative sector in the next 5-7 years.

by Irina Kharitonova, Expert on cultural and creative industries in Central Asia, Europe and the CIS, Director of the Public Foundation for Sustainable Development of Central Asia Creative & Innovation Institute

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THE MAIN THING IN BISHKEK IS CONNECTIONS

In 2023, the cultural treasury of Bishkek received a new addition: the immersive audio performance ‘Connections’.

This theatrical project follows a site-specific ‘promenade performance’ format, combining an audio guide to the city’s landmarks with an emotionally charged artistic performance.

During this excursion performance, the audience does not sit in armchairs but instead become the main characters and actively participate in the action. Following the audio guide, they are constantly on the move and led through secret paths in the centre of Bishkek. Along the way, they are presented with opportunities to engage with the city and each other.

Although the immersive audio performance format is not new, this experience offers a unique and exciting way to explore the city. Audio plays are a great alternative to traditional tours, which can often be dull and fact-heavy. They allow tourists to uncover the secrets behind the facades of houses and museums, revealing fascinating stories. The main function of this format is to promote the brand of the territory by creating a romanticised image of the city. This image is what tourists fall in love with and then enthusiastically share with their friends, acquaintances, and social media followers. Such recommendations organically increase the region’s tourist attractiveness.

However, the sociocultural project ‘Connections’ not only included a lyrical component in the guide for first-

time tourists in Bishkek, but also aimed to support the cultural integration of newcomers into the vibrant life of the Kyrgyzstan capital. Unlike many projects that reveal the history of key places in the city through a literary monologue or character interaction, ‘Connections’ focuses on fostering a deeper understanding of the city’s culture.

The main character, Baha (Bakyt), builds friendly relationships with the city’s guests and reveals the boundaries of the upper, middle, and lower worlds. Viewers discover Bishkek through the personal stories of its residents and learn important subtleties of how to become a local in the city. “Connections” is based on stories from contemporaries about the past, personal stories and little-known facts that create an indescribable atmosphere of mystery and intrigue, captivating the reader from the very beginning and not letting go until the last step. Therefore, “Connections” makes the city an attractive tourist destination not only for external visitors but also for residents of Bishkek.

According to the project’s creators, Vyacheslav Koshelev and Sergey Makarov, the project’s history is interesting and fraught with difficulties. Despite these challenges, the project was successfully launched and well-received by the public. However, due to the format’s relative inaccessibility and the discomfort of walks lasting over two hours in winter, the project’s ‘theatre season’ is limited to March through November. However, the main challenge was the urban environment.

The project aims to showcase not only the tourist attractions of Bishkek but also the daily life of its residents. Therefore, the route was designed to pass through authentic courtyards. Negotiating with local residents was necessary to ensure that tourists have unobstructed passage through the city. This can be a challenging task in a constantly developing metropolis.

Additionally, it is important to consider the accessibility of the urban environment for people with disabilities, pregnant women, and the elderly. Unfortunately, some areas of Bishkek’s urban environment are not yet accessible, and this issue has yet to be resolved by ‘Connections’.

Currently, ‘Connections’ is preparing for the opening of the 2024 season with an immersive audio performance, which offers prospects for new partnerships. Negotiations are underway to create similar performances in Karakol and Osh, as well as in Uzbekistan.

NEW MODEL OF TOURISM FOR THE NEW UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan is the only country in Central Asia that borders every country in the region. Uzbekistan is one of only two countries in the world that does not even have neighbours with access to the sea (the other being Liechtenstein). The oldest cities in Uzbekistan are over 2750 years old (Samarkand, for example, is as old as Rome and is one of the oldest cities in the world). Uzbekistan is the only country in the world where more than 90% of the cars are Chevrolets, and more than half of them are white.

These are not all the amazing facts that tourists will encounter while travelling around the country. The Republic of Uzbekistan has made remarkable progress in structural transformation, improving the investment climate and creating a freer, more transparent and level playing field for entrepreneurs, and has improved its position in international rankings on investment climate and doing business, despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2016, more than 100 regulatory legal acts have been adopted to develop the tourism sector in Uzbekistan, with a number of state programmes have been adopted, which have demonstrated their high efficiency. Large-scale measures and reforms in the development of tourism infrastructure, diversification of tourism products of different profiles have led to the dynamic attraction of tourists to Uzbekistan.

The main problem of tourism development is the insufficiently developed system of transport aviation logistics, insufficient coverage by flights of promising tourism markets. Although in recent years systematic work has been carried out to increase the number of flights by foreign airlines, 6 new national airlines of Uzbekistan have been opened to serve foreign and domestic flights. In the current conditions of globalisation, Uzbekistan is trying to provide full access to modern interactive opportunities and remove all existing technical barriers. Cardinal liberalisation of the visa regime

(visa-free regime with 93 countries, electronic visas with 57 countries, transit visas with a stay of 5 days for citizens of 53 countries) allowed for a short period of time to ensure a cardinal, essentially annual growth of tourists in the amount of 30% per year in the period before the pandemic.

Visitors from neighbouring countries accounted for the largest share of visits to Uzbekistan in 2022, with 81% of the total tourist flow. At the same time, the most significant increase in flows from other CIS countries in 2023 will come from Russia (by 12% compared to 2019), despite the fact that tourists from Russia already account for more than 80% of the total tourist flow from CIS countries outside Central Asia. Among nonCIS travellers, Uzbekistan is most popular with citizens of Turkey, India, South Korea, Germany, Italy and US.

Uzbekistan has a huge potential and is gaining its worthy place in the international market of tourist services. Today, priority is given to the development of ecological tourism, for which the country has excellent conditions - all four seasons are expressed and unique natural areas from mountains and deserts to forests

and lakes are presented. The national system of protected areas includes 8 nature reserves, 2 nature parks and 1 national park, 6 natural monuments, 11 wildlife sanctuaries, more than 50 water protection zones. The only place that modern Uzbekistan cannot offer is the sea. Uzbekistan’s Aral Sea is a clear example of man’s negative impact on nature. In order to draw the attention of the international community to this problem, special routes have been developed where tourists can visually see the consequences of human impact on the environment. There is also a strong emphasis on developing measures to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the country’s ecology.

Uzbekistan also emphasises the development of rural, agrarian, extreme mountain and other types of alternative tourism. These destinations are attracting audiences that are moving towards event tourism and the experience economy.

Traditional cultural tourism is also flourishing. The splendour of many historical monuments preserved since ancient times, their unique architectural style, which has survived hundreds and even thousands of

years, continues to amaze the whole world. Most international tourists come to Uzbekistan to see with their own eyes the wonderful works of art created by our ancestors, to feel their greatness and to immerse themselves in the world of legends about great amirs, invincible warriors, brilliant scientists and philosophers. More than 7,400 tangible cultural heritage sites are under state protection.

Tourism is the most sensitive sector, reacting instantly to events in the world, from natural disasters, political and economic crises to epidemics and artificial intelligence. The tourism industry is currently undergoing global and fundamental changes that are fundamentally altering traditional views of the industry. These include the acceleration of digitalisation, the introduction of information technology and the use of new interactive methods to enhance the attractiveness of tourist destinations. For example, artificial intelligence has become an objective reality in tourism. Already, such artificial intelligence algorithms can generate a variety of tourism products and programmes for different categories of travellers.

Today, Uzbekistan is integrating new technologies and approaches into the tourism industry. For example, the night-time economy has huge potential to provide employment for the local community and additional monetisation of tourist services in the tourism industry. Every tourist is interested in making the most of their time in the country they are visiting, but not all countries offer such opportunities at night, such as roundthe-clock visits to museums, entertainment centres and other attractions. Great results have been achieved in this area in Great Britain, Thailand, Japan and other countries with developed tourism, and we are adopting their experience and adapting it to our realities. Our country is also actively creating infrastructure for the development of inclusive tourism, and facilities for comfortable recreation and travel are being installed at tourist sites and cultural heritage sites for the physically challenged and disabled. In addition, in order to attract a wide range of foreign investors to the tourism industry, public-private partnership mechanisms are being used to stimulate the contribution of investment to the development of tourism infrastructure facilities.

In 2019, Uzbekistan entered the top 20 countries in the world that have achieved the greatest results in improving the business environment, ranking 69th out of 190 countries in the Doing Business 2020 ranking. Not resting on our laurels, we are continuing our steady development in this area.

by Shukhrat Isakulov, Doctor of Economics, Head of the Transport Logistics Development Department of the Tourism Committee under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

HERTFORDSHIRE PRESS

DISCOVERY GUIDES & TRAVEL COMPANIONS

100

EXPERIENCES OF KYRGYZSTAN

by Ian Claytor

ENG

ISBN: 978-0957480742

RRP: £9.50

100 EXPERIENCES OF MODERN KAZAKHSTAN

by Vitaly Shuptar, Nick Rowan and Dagmar Schreiber

ENG ISBN: 978-1-910886-15-1

RRP: £9.50

DISCOVERY KYRGYZSTAN

travel guide by Ian Claytor

ENG, DE, FR, RUS, JAP

ISBN: 9780955754920

RRP: £5.95

DISCOVERY UZBEKISTAN

travel guide by Andrea Leuenberger

ENG, DE, FR, RUS, JAP

ISBN: 9780957480704

RRP: £5.95

Editori: Nick Rowan a Roman Vassilenko

ISBN: 9781913356255

RRP: £9.50

THE TASTE OF CENTRAL ASIA COOK BOOK

by Danny Gordon

ENG ISBN:978-1-910886-09-0

RRP: £9.50

DISCOVERY KAZAKHSTAN

travel guide by Vitaly Shuptar and Dagmar Schreiber

ENG, DE

ISBN: 9780955754937

RRP: £5.95

DISCOVERY TAJIKISTAN

Travel Guide by Vitaly Shuptar

ENG

ISBN: 978-09557549-6-8

RRP: £5.95

101 Zážitok Z Kazachstanu

SOCIETY

CREATE A HYPER-LOCAL WORLD

by Natalie Bays, Founder of the NO Collective

I was born into the first generation to fully immerse themselves into the internet. As a teen, I could have spoken to anyone in the world from my home computer at any time; but despite this - I was only ever interested in talking to the bubble of friends I saw every day at school. I grew up in Romford, a metropolitan town on the very eastern edge of London and considered myself an artist from a young age. Art to me was drawing and painting in my own time and the occasional school trip to the London galleries, where we would see exceptional portraits and landscapes. London is the place to grow-up for art-lovers, but not the only place you should grow as an artist.

It wasn’t until I reached university that I truly experienced other creative cultures. People that lived and made artworks from different countries and studied with me, they made artworks that I couldn’t recognize in adjacent to the National Gallery. University of the Arts London is a world-renowned institution and therefore more than a third of my fellow students were from other countries. I was lucky that I was born in London and found myself at a ‘local’ university with so much prestige. In my Romford culture bubble at that time I would not have travelled abroad to study.

My first curatorial job in London was through my university course and was in collaboration with Hitachi Consulting. Organising a simple exhibition of my classmates’ work. This is where I honed my organisational skillset and understood that there was a value of art outside of an institution. The immediate challenges faced here were small but unanticipated. Transporting artists work from storage spaces because they didn’t live in the country, to negotiating fire regulations around culturally traditional materials. It was difficult but immensely satisfying. My biggest accomplishment, providing cultural stories in the form of artworks in a place for people to experience on a daily basis outside of a gallery space.

It was not long after that me and my collaborator Joe decided to found The NO Collective (Est. 2010), an organisation which would support society through creativity (hyper-localism) and also support artists with access to unique travel opportunities; to collaborate internationally and bring new cultural influences home.

There were a couple of reasons we were interested in international collaboration. The first was to share the experiences it had brought us as artists. My and Joe’s first international residency was in Norway. As performance artists, we researched Norwegian culture and made artwork alongside Trondheim residents throughout 10 days. This led to recorded artworks, writing, personal logs and even caused a stir in the city, as people heard about our artwork. The experience of making and exhibiting in a different country was so transcendent to our professional art practise that we were hooked. Around the same time a relational aesthetics exhibition by Nicolas Bourriaud in London called ‘Altermodernism’ solidified the need I saw for collaboration with other cultures in a post-modernist world.

The second reason was that while working with small communities in and around London, we had noticed

the culture bubble I had experienced growing up. The culture bubble for me is being safe at home in London, with what we already know. Especially in places like Romford, there are few creative organizations, despite culture being a brilliant tool to do social good.We wanted to bring new cultural and creative experiences to the communities we cared about.

I am proud to reflect on the international art programmes we have organized both at home and abroad over the last thirteen years and what they have meant for those involved.

In 2016 we began a project with the Council of State Support under the Auspices of the Government of Azerbaijan called ‘InAzerbaijan’. The programme, which lasted three years, to create a web portal about the country in the UK, was set apart by the creative means in which it was organized. The programme was researched in both the UK and in Azerbaijan by young people (aged 16 - 30) to ensure information was accessible for its readership. It included first hand research through authentic meetings with Azerbaijani communities and we produced extraordinarily creative content by inviting UK creatives to become resident artists for a week in Baku. This was the first Azerbaijan focused website in the UK and it included information which was highly regarded by tourists due to the method of research and the recording of unique experiences. Diplomatically it also provided a platform for conversation about a country that could have otherwise been misunderstood in the UK.

Practically speaking, during this project we made three separate trips to Azerbaijan. The first without any context of place (of course due to lack of information online or in libraries). The most important part of planning an international project is understanding the risk, therefore having a grasp of ‘mitigations’ before you leave is very important. Prior to our first trip I made contact with the UK Embassy in Baku and the Azerbaijan Embassy in London. I also spoke with our hotel and natives to understand any cultural and practical differences. Creating a timetable, putting insurance in place, a risk assessment, some ‘trip rules’ and providing an emergency contact list to all participants is essential.

It was this project that introduced me to the Eurasian Creative Guild which shares so many values with The

NO Collective. Our first collaborative project, the ECG Film Festival has found its place alongside the Romford Film Festival which I co-organize in London, and a successful example of placemaking through culture.

Film is a fantastic way to share stories of culture and identity in a really accessible and entertaining way. I support four international film festivals a year in Romford which all bring huge benefits to the town. The Romford Horror Festival in February brings over one thousand static audience members to Romford over four days. There is independent and classic film, ‘horror’ pop up shops and entertainment. During this time local hotels are filled up with guests and restaurants in the local area benefit from an influx of customers. In June the main festival brings film makers from across the world to share their cultural stories. A bigger local audience is shared alongside the ECG film festival that brings more diverse stories from across the globe. Finally the East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival in the Autumn brings together a minority community to share international stories of identity and strength. This brings a different audience and meaning; International advocacy and a huge solidarity to the stories that might be less comfortable from different places.

The important organisation details to be considered in our home projects is to be aware and supportive of cultural difference and diversity. It is always our aim to be as welcoming as humanly possible to anyone who has travelled to join us. Helping with travel plans and providing location guides. This ensures that artists continue to travel to improve the quality of their work and the quality of the experiences that they can bring others.

The programmes that I enjoy participating in the most are those that take artists from places with less cultural infrastructure to a different country. As mentioned, (Norwegian residency), these are the trips that are real career changers. Recently we were invited to Burabay in Kazakhstan as a creative team, to paint a mural and make a film. This allowed our group of four creatives to immerse themselves in to a different culture of people living in the district and reflect these learnings in the work that was made. We also took home a whole realm of unique experiences including meeting an Ambassador and joining an arts festival. This was a huge legacy project, ensuring that local creatives can bring their quality experiences to positively agitate creativity

in their own town. Immediate effects have meant more exposure for one of the participants and a new mural organised in a local town from another.

Working abroad is showcased as a brilliant tool for self-development in business. For creatives this is also true, however, unlike usual business-people, creatives also radiate positive change in their wake. They mix with all classes of society, creating projects and artworks that help us share values as humans. They create networks that lead to cultural bridges and diplomatic ties and best of all, they make friends to collaborate with beyond borders.

CULTURE

WHY IS BELARUS CONSIDERED THE TREASURE OF EASTERN EUROPE?

Belarus is a country with an ancient history and rich traditions, enchanting nature and astonishing architecture, industrial giants and well-developed agriculture, unique cuisine and hospitable people.

Belarus is located in the center of Europe at the intersection of many international routes. The capital of the Republic of Belarus is Minsk. Minsk is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The first written mention dates back to 1067. The population of Minsk is about 2 million people.

The climate in Belarus is moderate continental, there are no sudden temperature changes, severe frosts or stifling heat. Heavy rain, hurricanes and other dangerous weather events are extremely rare.

The modern cultural life of Belarus is dynamic and diverse. The country hosts many art, music, theater exhibitions and film festivals. Belarus entertains guests with all kinds of events. Here you can visit a theater forum or a folk culture festival, attend an open-air event dedicated to ancient crafts or national cuisine, take part in a medieval re-enactment.

Attention should be paid to national cuisine. The national cuisine of Belarus has a centuries-old history. Its development and formation were influenced by both climatic conditions and the country’s geographical position at the crossroads of Western and Eastern cultures and the world’s largest religions.

There are a huge number of restaurants and cafes in Belarus that specialize in preparing dishes of national cuisine, which also have thematic interior design - decorative elements reflecting the culture, flavor and national traditions of the Belarusian people.

CULTURE

Belarus is famous for amazing folklore, unique rituals, and originality. Belarusian traditions are honored both at the state and at the family levels, they are passed from generation to generation.

Belarus is rich for museums, manors and ethnographic complexes. Guests of museums and numerous complexes can see ancient household items and works of decorative and applied art, hear Belarusian songs and learn about ancient dances of the Belarusian people. For enthusiasts who want to fully experience the ancient Belarusian way of life, agroeco homesteads are organized - rural houses that are suitable for relaxing and exploring the area. Here you can take a walk to the apiary, take part in an exciting haymaking, ride horses, and hunt.

However, the true soul of the Belarusian people is expressed in their traditional folk crafts, the skillful craftsmanship of artisans, which has been passed from generation to generation.

Straw weaving

One of the most famous elements of Belarusian folk art can be called straw weaving.

Since ancient times, this craft has helped create durable and convenient products for everyday life and everyday household chores. Belarusians considered straw to be an analogue of gold, so it was often used in the decoration of church temples. In addition, straw weaving in Belarus was included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Nowadays, artistic products and souvenirs made from straw are given as gifts to the closest people. Such products have no analogues in the world, this is one of the distinctive features of the artistic traditions of the Belarusian nation.

In Belarus anyone can try themselves as an artisan of this diverse and original craft.

Belarusian “malyavanka” (drawing).

Another popular element of Belarusian folk art is malyavanki - these are painted carpets on fabric that were widely distributed on the territory of Belarus starting from the end of the 19th century. In the 20-30s of the 20th century, almost every Belarusian house had deco-

rated walls with painted carpets, on which both scenes from everyday life and fantastic worlds of fairy tales and legends were painted. Belarusian malyavanki have always been popular gifts for anniversaries and weddings.

In Belarus, anyone can try their hand at creating a painted carpet, which will remind them of their visit to Belarus for many years.

Pottery

Pottery has been known in Belarus since primitive times, when the first hand-molded earthenware and cooking utensils on fire appeared. Potters shaped the dishes on a potter’s wheel, fired them in forges or home ovens and subjected them to decorative treatments. Over time, pottery, like many others, turned into art. Various symbolic animals, musical instruments, toys and much more made from clay are also an important trend in modern Belarusian traditional art.

Cooperage

Almost every locality along with a blacksmith, potter and miller, had its own cooper, who made barrels and dishes from oak, pine, and spruce materials. These materials were tied together with hoops - metal or wood. Containers for water, drinks, for storing food and various things - all this could be made by ancient Belarusian craftsmen.

Today modern Belarusian artisans continue the traditions of their ancestors. A modern Belarusian coo-

per knows not only the techniques of making wooden utensils, but also understands the characteristics of a particular type of wood and can explain how to create these amazing items.

Weaving dolls

In Belarus, there always has been a tradition of weaving motanka dolls, parents began making them in ancient times to please their children. Over time, these dolls became ritual. Some of them were made with medicinal herbs inside to cure the sick, some were intended to bring good luck or a good harvest. Some people believed that such a doll contained the spirit of ancestors and could pass on experience from generation to generation.

Felting wool

Felting wool is an ancient Belarusian craft. Even in ancient times, people appreciated natural wool for its unique qualities. Shirts, hats, and pants were made from wool. At the end of the 19th century, winter shoes - felt boots - appeared in the everyday life of wealthy people. Sometimes felt boots were decorated with painting and embroidery. Now the ancient craft of felting is coming back into fashion. An old folk craft is being revived.Young craftsmen use new techniques and materials, combine wool with silk, chiffon, linen, lace, resulting in original dresses, bags, and shoes.

Wood carving

Wood carving is the most ancient way of decorating wood products. Compositions of traditional Belarusian carvings usually develop beautifully and freely in the form of plant shoots. Traditionally, Belarusians decorated wooden ships and houses, furniture, dishes, looms and spinning wheels with carvings.

Modern Belarusian craftsmen maintain traditions by making a wide variety of items - boxes, wooden sculptures, wood paintings, figures and other products. If you want to visit the heart of Europe, try yourself out as an ancient artisan, feel all the uniqueness, flavor and identity of the Belarusian nation, then you should come to Belarus.

In our country, centuries-old traditions, natural wealth and modern experience are harmoniously intertwined. We always welcome guests and we know how to surprise them. Here every traveler will certainly find for himself what he went on the journey for.

Aleh Andreichyk, Deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus

“Mercure Hotel Tashkent” - is a premium class hotel offering quintessential location for both business and leisure travellers as we are 10 minutes from Islam Karimov International Airport, railway stations and 15 minutes from the city centre

The hotel has 113 standard rooms and 13 suites with modern design, offering a unique setting, a quiet and cosy atmosphere, comfort and luxury

“Lumiere” and “Bahçıvan” restaurants, Lobby Lounge Bar, Fitness & SPA Complex, modern conference halls and meeting rooms are located on the hotel premises

PERSON

HOTEL MANAGEMENT ‘INSIDE OUT’ FOR LOCALS AND INTERNATIONALS

When it comes to a process as complex as hotel management, many tourists don’t even think about how many little things make up their holiday experience. This is especially true in countries where the hospitality industry has only recently emerged as an industry in its own right and is now developing at an accelerated pace to be competitive. The editors of OCA Magazine decided to ask experienced hoteliers for their views on the state of the industry.

OCA GUESTS

Currently in Uzbekistan

Mercure Tashkent Hotel General Manager, FT Hotels Group LLC CEO, Member of the Public Council for Entrepreneurship Support under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

OCA: Please, tell us about yourself and the experience. What were the highest points and achievements for you?

Farkhod Tashtemirov (FT): I was born on 30 April 1971 in the Kishlak of Eshimaksak, Samarkand province. In 1993 I graduated from one of the best Russian universities with a degree in political science and returned to Tashkent, where I worked in the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan, then

Currently in Kazakhstan

Rixos Borovoe General Manager, Hospitality CEO, Accor Hotels General Manager, Copenhagen Goodwill Ambassador

in the Small and Private Business Support Fund, the Parliament of the Republic of Uzbekistan, joint stock companies and banks. And in 2007 I reached a turning point in my career - I started working in the hotel industry as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Dedeman Silk Road Tashkent Hotel. From that moment on, I fully realised that hospitality is not just a job, it is my calling. Working in this field gives me constant pleasure and I can see the results of my work in a very short

Farkhod Tashtemirov, Uzbekistan

Jesper Francl, Denmark

time. In 2010, having successfully passed all the stages of interviews and tests, I was hired by the international company of the aparthotel chain operator, The Ascott Group, in its European office in Paris. I spent six months working in all the departments, services and divisions of the European headquarters, as well as in several of the chain’s hotels in Paris. I was then appointed General Manager of Citadines Freedom Square Tbilisi apart hotel and I am still proud that my hotel was ranked among the top 5 best hotels in the chain for the next 3 years in a row, according to guest reviews, occupancy rate, service level, etc. After several years of working in Baku and Novosibirsk, I received an offer from Dedeman Hotels & Resorts International to lead the team that would open the chain’s first hotel in Moscow. During these 2 years I gained valuable experience of opening a hotel in a very short time and after opening the hotel took the first place in www.tripadvisor.com rating among all Moscow hotels. I think this is a very important achievement for any hotel general manager. In 2016, I returned to Uzbekistan, where I now manage the Mercure Tashkent Hotel. I also consider one of my achievements to be the successful rebranding process of Lumiere Hotel & Spa Tashkent to Mercure, an international brand of Accor Hotels, a world leader in the hospitality industry.

Jesper Francl (JF): I have been immersed in the hospitality industry for over two decades, with a wealth of experience spanning various roles within prestigious hotel chains. My journey in hospitality began with positions in F&B outlets, gradually ascending through the ranks to management positions. Throughout my career, I’ve garnered invaluable insights and expertise in hotel operations, guest satisfaction, and team leadership. One of my proudest achievements includes spearheading the transformation of several properties into award-winning establishments, recognized for their exceptional service and elevated guest experiences.

OCA: What key changes in hotel business did you observe for the last 10 years?

FT: The hospitality industry, like many other industries, is evolving very fast and the major changes in the last 10 years are very closely related to the digitalisation of the hospitality industry in many aspects. In my opinion, a very important factor in the hotel business is e-reputation. Any hotel guest can write a review about the hotel, hotel services, and hotel staff on the Internet (www.tripadvisor.com, google.com, Yandex.ru, booking.

com, etc.) at any time. A negative review, even if it is unreliable, will lead to the loss of potential guests of the hotel, will spoil the image and reputation of the hotel all the time it is online. A positive review will contribute to the development of the hotel, attracting new hotel guests, etc.

JF: Over the past decade, the hotel industry has undergone significant transformations driven by evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements. One of the key changes has been the shift towards personalised experiences, with hotels leveraging data analytics and guest feedback to tailor services and amenities. Additionally, sustainability initiatives have gained prominence, with hotels increasingly adopting eco-friendly practices to reduce their environmental footprint. Moreover, the rise of online booking platforms and social media has revolutionised the way hotels market themselves and engage with guests, emphasising the importance of digital presence and reputation management.

OCA: Do you feel the influence of the creative industries on the development of hotels? In what it is shown?

FT: Currently, the hotel industry in Central Asian countries is becoming increasingly competitive, and innovative technologies have a direct impact on the sustainable development of hotels. Creative industries are always connected to the hotel business. Modern hotels cannot be imagined without modern architecture and design, print and digital products, online and offline advertising, audio-video products that convey information about hotels and their services, and much more.

JF: As the General Manager of Rixos Borovoe hotel, I don’t particularly feel a direct impact of the creative industries on hotel development. Our focus primarily lies on delivering exceptional hospitality experiences tailored to our guests’ needs and preferences. While we appreciate and value creativity in various forms, such as design concepts and guest experiences, our approach to hotel development is more rooted in providing excellent service, maintaining operational efficiency, and upholding the highest standards of quality and comfort for our guests.

OCA: What are the trends and problems now and what prospects are hotels waiting for in the next few years? Are there any regional factors

that can play in a positive or negative way?

FT: Today, hotel guests have become more demanding. He or she links the quality of his or her holiday to the level of comfort and the programme of the stay in the city, so the ecosystem of the accommodation establishment and the possibilities of expanding the range of services are beginning to play a special role. In recent years, especially after the pandemic, the hotel industry has had to make serious changes. Common trends include digitalisation (mobile apps to sell additional hotel services, intelligent room management, contactless check-in, etc.). With the right use of artificial intelligence, hoteliers can surprise and attract more guests. The second strong trend is the meetings industry (formerly the MICE segment). Stimulation of business tourism and event organisers are important factors in attracting corporate clients, increasing occupancy and ROI of hotels. What is important for Uzbekistan now is the mass opening of hotels of different levels, including international chains. This is very important for the development of the country as a whole, because if there are many hotels with international brands, it means that the country is safe for guests from other countries.

JF: Currently, the hotel industry is navigating through unprecedented challenges, including the aftermath of the global pandemic and shifting consumer behaviours. While recovery remains a top priority, hotels are also contending with emerging trends such as the rise of remote work and experiential travel. Embracing technology and innovation will be crucial in addressing these challenges and capitalising on opportunities for growth. Additionally, there is a growing demand for tourist experiences, presenting hotels with opportunities to attract more guests and cater to diverse traveller preferences. However, amidst these opportunities, one significant challenge is the difficulty in finding skilled talent to meet the evolving demands of the industry. Regional factors, such as geopolitical stability, infrastructure development, and tourism policies, will play a significant role in shaping the prospects of hotels in the coming years. By staying agile, adaptable, customer-centric, and actively attracting talent, hotels can position themselves for success amidst uncertainty.

OCA: What will you advise the specialists who are part of the hotel business now?

FT: The hotel business is a very interesting, very attractive business. First of all, I recommend all young beginners to study, to learn not only the hotel business,

but also mathematics, English and other languages. The second piece of advice is to have patience. Remember that your work will always be appreciated and you must work in a way that you enjoy.

JF: For specialists in the hotel business, I would advise staying agile and proactive in response to market dynamics and consumer preferences. Embrace innovation and leverage technology to enhance operational efficiency and guest experiences. Prioritise sustainability initiatives to align with evolving consumer values and industry trends. Cultivate a culture of continuous learning and development within your team, empowering them to deliver exceptional service and exceed guest expectations. Finally, foster strong partnerships with local communities, businesses, and stakeholders to create mutually beneficial relationships and drive sustainable growth.

CUISINE

GASTRO TOURISM: A NEW ADVANTAGE FOR CENTRAL ASIA

Central Asia has a culinary legacy that is mind boggling. Like the region’s history it spans millennia and has undergone a vast amount of change from era to era. It is both fascinating and delicious. Being positioned along the Silk Road allowed for this as trade brought new ingredients, technique and recipes to chefs and to the delight of eaters. And while the cuisine today still reflects those ancient, international roots, it is sadly not getting the attention it deserves.

While I am hardly qualified to talk about the challenges facing chefs and tour operators in Central Asia, there is one thing that I know and that is how to eat and drink! I also know how to profit off the two. As a professional chef turned gastro-tour operator, nothing gives me greater joy than sharing the culinary culture of my adopted home in San Sebastián with guests from all over the world. The fact that I get paid for this is incredible! Which I think answers the question that yes there is money to be made in food tourism, after all 25% of travellers took a food experience over the past year and the global culinary tourism market size is anticipated to have a value of $1.8 trillion by 2027, up from $1.1 billion in 2021 (an increase of over 576% in six years).1 Central Asia should be capitalizing on this trend!

Upon a recent trip to Uzbekistan to present a Master Class in Gastro Tourism at the Samarkand Tourism Forum I was keen to see what the country’s food scene was like. To be honest, I was a little disappointed as complacency seems to be getting in the way of celebration. Being the optimistic eater that I am, I am not discouraged and I smell an incredible opportunity for Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia with regards to the gastro-tourism sector as well as the restaurant industry as a whole!

CUISINE

There’s an entire world of culinary possibilities in Central Asia that many locals are not taking advantage of. Time and again I heard people remark that their home country’s dishes were meat-heavy, greasy and sadly uninteresting. Tourism professionals could not believe that I was paid to operate market tours, tastings, cooking classes and multi-day culinary excursions. But Central Asia is uniquely positioned for the same success if only the status quo is abandoned. Food, much like tourism, is in a constant state of evolution, just like the Silk Road was and just like Central Asia still is. Want to create a thriving, dynamic food culture? Look to your ancestors!

The Silk Road is where it all began. The world’s first international cuisine! From the many spices, dried fruit and nuts, vegetables and exotic bites at the bazaars, how could so many of my meals in Uzbekistan miss the mark? Instead of celebrating the unique culinary culture of Central Asia, many restaurants seem to be stuck in a rut ignoring their potential and offering the same menus over and over. Indeed, food seems to be regarded as something of a chore versus something to be cherished and enjoyed. There is, however, one meal in Uzbekistan that is phenomenal: breakfast. Every

breakfast I had was a delight and I think most visitors will agree.

If the national cuisines and culinary history of Central Asia are presented with more enthusiasm and pride, you’d have a real winner and a serious money maker. 86% of travellers are interested in eating the local and regional cuisines at their destinations.2 And 45% of travellers polled by Skyscanner chose a holiday destination because of the food or to dine at a specific restaurant.3 If you are still sceptical, just remember that not every traveller is going to buy souvenirs, but every traveller MUST eat and will happily pay a premium for a good experience. Putting a focus on culinary culture is a win-win for tourism and restauranteurs.

To the restauranteurs out there, I’d like to see more invention. In the spirit of the Silk Road, borrow from your neighbors near and far. Be bold and inquisitive! Don’t be afraid to explore new recipes, ingredients and techniques, then make them your own just like Laghman from Uighur China and Kimchee from Korea were adopted.

The local populous and restaurant scene has certainly had no problem embracing western junk foods with

Pepsi marketing, lifeless pizza and hamburgers everywhere. Spice these dishes up with some inventive twists like the old timers of the caravanserai were apt to do! Hamburgers could become exotic horsemeat burgers, seductively spiced and dressed with suzma. Pizzas and pastas topped with local fresh herbs, sundried tomatoes, peppers and cheese. Speaking of cheese, contrary to what the Bradt Travel Guide to Uzbekistan says, the cheeseballs at the markets are not strong and difficult to eat. They are delicious with flavors rivaling the finest of French goat cheese. This is exactly what I’m talking about, instead of cautionary descriptions the book should have encouraged its readers to dig in!

I want to rally the tour operators of Central Asia to remember that they are cultural ambassadors and have the power to cultivate a new sense of pride in local bazaars, tea houses and eateries. Using food and drink to share your culture and history is wonderfully fun. An entire lunch could be made out of a bazaar tour with tastings at various vendors and stalls to the delight of clients. Walking food tours of a city could easily be organized by themes, from sweets to shashlik or how about a tour focused on cross-cultural dining exploring the increasingly popular influence of Turkish cuisine as

well as Korean, Uyghur even Indian eateries? Wanna make a killing? How about a workshop in the home of a local family to make a traditional plov? This is a great example of how it’s not always about the food, but the experience! Add a vegetarian option and I can guarantee you’ll have extra sales and rave reviews.

Visitors come to Central Asia for a number of reasons, history, nature, adventure, religion, architecture, arts and crafts. Food and the culinary culture of the region deserves a seat at the table as well.

1 Arival, 2023 Experiences Traveler Report

2 Hilton Hotel Group: Stories from Hilton.com, “The 2024 Traveler”

3 Skyscanner’s 2024 Travel Trends report

by Gregory Schaefer, founder of Basque Bites

LIKE A MOVIE. A NEW MODEL OF DESTINATION MARKETING

Today, tourism and migration have become part of modern life. And since the laws of economics dictate that where there are people, there are finances and other resources, the ability of a city, region or even an entire country to attract and retain tourists, investors, businesses, workers, etc. comes to the fore. Cities for education, cities for leisure and tourism, cities for family life - they all need their own brand. Cities with a rich historical heritage of architecture, museums and legends, megacities with an open labour market, or resorts where the sea splashes or healing springs flow surely have more ways to build a promotional strategy. But what can the rest of us do?

One of the best options is to attract talented and creative people who will do the rest. Think of a place you’ve never been but would love to visit. Why would you want to go there? You may not be attracted by a specific destination, but by a romantic image of that place, such as Paris - the city of love, Rome - the Eternal City, New York - the city of business, Bali - peace and harmony. This list could go on and on. And we are not talking about specific indicators, but about the image of different places that is used as a kind of cliché in books, films, music videos, photo shoots for fashion magazines and even on the wallpaper of mobile phones and the covers of notebooks.

Today, the most effective medium is video in the broadest sense of the word. Films, series, TV shows, vlogs, stories, riles - all have become part of visual storytelling. The more interesting video content that is made about a place, the more likely it is to be popular with tourists. Hertfordshire Press has a successful case study of this format in its history. In 2013, the book “Igor Savitsky: Artist, Collector, Museum Founder” dedicated to the Savitsky Museum in Nukus, Uzbekistan, was published.

The museum is located “in the middle of nowhere”, in the desert, and at the time of the book’s publication it was going through some bad times. But everything changed when Amanda Pope and Chavdar Georgiev got hold of the book and turned it into a beautiful film, ‘The Desert of Forbidden Art’, which drew the world’s attention to this treasure trove of unique examples of culture and art. Today, the Savitsky Museum in Nukus is one of the most sought-after destinations in Uzbekistan, especially among connoisseurs of Orientalism and the Soviet avant-garde.

Incidentally, one of the key factors in the case of video content is the presence of celebrities involved in the project. In the case of “The Desert of Forbidden Art”, the initial “star” cast of Edward Asner, Sally Field and Ben Kingsley, as well as directors with a name in the industry, was an advantage. But not every city can afford to host a Hollywood film crew. But it can pay for the travel, accommodation and fees of just one person, without whom no video sequence can capture the viewer’s attention. And that’s... a writer.

Popular writers attract no less attention than film stars, and the format of film adaptation is not losing its relevance. So, creating a whole event around the arrival of a famous writer, the writing of a story, the filming of a film or TV series (fortunately it is possible to find a film crew in almost every region) and its release will in itself draw attention to the destination.

Hertfordshire Press, in partnership with the Eurasian Creative Guild (London), has already launched the ‘Like a Movie’ project and is ready to work with the regions. If you would like to be involved in this project, please send your application to t-kaunis@ocamagazine.com.

OCA DIALOGUE FORUM

International OCA Dialogue Forum dedicated to the investment attractiveness of countries and projects in the Eurasian region.

The Forum will bring together investors, experts and business representatives and open up new opportunities for cooperation.

TRADITIONS

DISCOVER CENTRAL ASIA IN ITS ORIGINAL TRADITIONS

Following the global pandemic, alternative accommodation projects have become increasingly popular in Central Asia, with a variety of unique accommodation options now available in some of the most pristine locations. Visitors can now enjoy the comfort of staying in yurts, dome houses, and even 5-star international hotels.

It is not to suggest that these amenities did not exist before, but heightened competition has compelled all ‘alternative’ hoteliers to enhance the quality of their services and compete with traditional hotels. Consequently, certain alternative accommodation projects have incorporated features such as a shower cubicle, a washbasin with a mirror, a toilet, a dressing room, a bedside table, a tea set, and other attributes commonly found in 3-4 star hotel rooms into their facilities.

Limited resources necessitate this trend in the development of tourism. Alternative accommodations are increasingly offering organic and sustainable tourism formats to fulfil the traveller’s dream of being as close to nature and attractions as possible. Today, many travellers seek breathtaking views from their hotel room windows.

Such formats include eco-trails, hiking, and national masterclasses. However, tourism also offers new experiences and skills, which are the primary benefits of travelling today.

During the recent 25th Session of UNWTO, a new trend in sustainable tourism development was identified and supported by the organisation’s leadership. This trend is the ‘As a Nomad’ project - a network of yurt glamping sites (camping with all amenities) along the Silk Road. The project aims to establish a contemporary and authentic tourism infrastructure along the Great Silk Road while developing sustainable and responsible tourism products. Currently, the network comprises seven glamping sites in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia.

‘As a Nomad’ is a collection of luxury yurt glamping venues situated in the most popular tourist destinations of these countries, preserving the heritage of the Great Silk Road. The network operates under a single brand, management, and service standard.

ADVENTURES OF EUROPEANS IN CENTRAL ASIA. GUIDELINES FOR GUIDES

“Just bring us guests”. It’s a familiar phrase among tourism providers in countries developing tourism. But are they ready for the guests? Barnaby Davies and Sjannie Hulsman, co-owners of EastguidesWest, a Dutch training and consulting company, have just returned from speaking on sustainability at Samarkand Tourism Forum (STF). They have insights into the key changes and challenges in the tourism sector.

On the plus side, Uzbekistan is growing on world travellers’ radars. Relatively unknown in 2018, the National PR-Centre under the tourism committee has done wonders in promoting ancient cities and beauty ; Uzbekistan has a striking presence at World Travel Market, London ; and Joanna Lumley has waxed lyrical in her 2018 documentary Silk Road Adventure.

Despite the positive PR and statistics, a key challenge remains : perceived safety. Davies, from UK, texted his 13-year-old son while in Samarkand. “I’m training local guides in Uzbekistan this week. Here’s a photo of Registan Square - isn’t it stunning?!” Five minutes later a response comes back : “My mum says it’s dangerous there.”

This is an ongoing hurdle for the Stans. But not an insuperable hurdle. Word of Mouth and an increase in first-hand experiences in Central Asia are proving powerful. Davies’ simple Facebook post promoting safety and beauty elicited a barrage of positive responses from UK travellers with Uzbekistan firmly on their bucket lists.

What about infrastructure? It’s often regarded as crucial for tourism to thrive, and many locals

pointed out poor roads and slow, local trains as an obstacle to growth. But EastguidesWest disagrees. It’s about managing expectations. Get that right, and guests will happily go to the ends of the earth on poor roads, sleep in simple accommodation and eat with their fingers. An off-the-beaten-track adventure, all without precious Wifi.

However, entice guests with a glossy brochure and then disappoint them? That’s where tours, reputations, and referrals drop off a cliff. Tourism is a fragile industry.

In Samarkand there were multiple communication issues, the first being language. Davies and Hulsman hooked up with Floridian Gregory Schaefer, operator of Basque Bites, a food tour company in San Sebastian, Spain. There were other Europeans and Americans there too.

Attending breakout workshops, they were disappointed that the sessions were in…Russian. While the perfect bridge language in the region, if the goal is to attract more Western guests, then English is essential. Fortunately, Ravshan Turkalov, co-founder of STF and owner of Silk Road Destinations has understood this issue. STF in February 2025 is already being planned to be more attractive for Western buyers and speakers.

Another key challenge is communication of itinerary and timings. STF side events were written as messages on Telegram, accessible to some, but not all. For foreigners there was an air of uncertainty on what was happening and where.

While it may appear romantic for a tour to start ‘at some point’ from a caravanserai in Central Asia, this approach alienates many Western guests. Davies and Hulsman have led thousands of tours in Europe as tour directors for Europeans and Americans. If a bus is scheduled to leave at 8am, wheels are rolling at 8am. Guests are boarding 10-15 minutes before in anticipation.

DESTINATIONS

In Central Asia, “we are leaving at 8am” often turns into 8.30am or later. The result? The guests that were ready at 7.45am are now fed up and are already thinking about bathrooms. When are the bathrooms? How long is the drive? All of this information - effectively tackled in a Welcome Briefing - is lacking throughout Central Asia. But it is an easy fix. Training in a Western mindset, training in guest expectations and training in service excellence.

Meeting these challenges head on is Turkalov. Not only has he co-founded STF, but he has set up the Silk Road Training Academy for tour guides in Samarkand. Using the Blue Badge Guides in London as a yardstick, there is still a long way to go in levelling up soft skills. But the journey has started.

The ongoing challenge now is sourcing top-down support for training from the government, not just in Uzbekistan but throughout the whole region. Practical education in service excellence, plus international consultancy and destination promotion, can’t be funded by the private sector alone.

by Barnaby Davies, Founder of EastguidesWest consulting company

MAGAZINE EDUCATION

2024

SUBMITIONS OPEN

publisher@ocamagazine.com

OCA Magazine is the only British independent magazine that since 2009 has been covering the political, economic and cultural events of Central Asia in the English speaking space. Circulation of the printed version of the magazine: from 20005000 copies. Audience of subscribers and readers: 50,000.

We are happy to announce OCA Education 2024! The aim of the project is to demonstrate the educational potential of the post-Soviet countries, experts and media representatives to promote education and opportunities for international cooperation in the framework of educational and research programs in the region.

A special issue of OCA Magazine will be published in London in August 2024 in English. It is planned to publish articles on the best practices of educational institutions in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as articles from leading experts, including British ones, in the magazine, which will comprehensively show the key opportunities for the development of international projects. The special issue will be of interest both to researchers, scientists and international students who plan to develop their scientific activities in key industries for the region, and to experts in the field of higher education, recruitment, etc.

ECG

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: NEW ATTRACTION

- Culture is what people PRACTISE, NOT what they believe. -

I. A. Rehman

The sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates paid France $525 million to rent the name “Louvre” for the museum in Abu Dhabi. The cost of organised tours of museums, galleries and unique architectural sites can easily reach $80,000, as can specialised creative and educational tours for artists, architects, fashionistas, history buffs and many other ‘creative tourists’. Art tours are no longer uncommon, but the real popularity of this tourism trend is yet to come - as more countries open the doors of their authentic culture to travellers, the demand for creative tours will increase.

Artist-in-residence programmes occupy a special place among art tours. Such residency programmes can be very different, but they have one thing in common - the resident must create (or prepare to create) a specific creative product. They can be funded by the state

or by foundations, offering creative people a kind of scholarship or grant programme, or they can be 100% funded by the residents themselves, as a kind of break from routine and a change of scenery for a new dose of inspiration. An artist-in-residence is usually a special place - an office or a whole village of houses - equipped for the creative process. At the same time, the format of the work is different. Sometimes it is active networking, communication with colleagues and experts, active participation in events and the creation of collective projects. Sometimes, on the contrary, the resident is given the right to complete solitude and concentration on his or her individual projects. In some programmes, a significant part of the time is spent on research, training and working with experts. Often, residencies end with an exhibition, presentation or concert so that the residents can share the results of their work.

The art residency format is very common in European countries, but for the CIS and Central Asia it is still quite new and its adaptation to real conditions, colour and mentality is only now gaining momentum. Since 2021, ECG (London) has been running the ECG HORIZONS art residency - a unique space for writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers and other creative people. It includes a showroom and co-working zone, library, music corner and indoor art gallery. Residents can discover breathtaking views of mountains, forests, lakes and rivers around Shchuchinsk. Astana and Kokshetau also offer museums, theatres and art galleries.

The original idea behind the HORIZONS residency was to create a platform for experimentation, where creative people from different disciplines, countries and cultures could meet and create a new creative product. The festivals and other events organised by ECG (London) each year have already seen such collaborations, with writers creating performances with artists, filmmakers from the UK making a documentary about the local community, and currently a unique project called ‘Elish and Superheroes’ is based at the residency. Timur Akhmedjanov (UK), the author of the graphic adaptation of Azerbaijani writer and psychiatrist Kamran Salayev’s “Elish and the Wicker Tale”, with the support of ECG Guardian Saltanat Khamzeyeva, will create the third part of the graphic novel with talented children from Shchuchinsk and the Burabay region. Earlier, the project of the world’s first comic museum “Elish and Superheroes”, dedicated to the theme of inclusiveness, was created on the basis of the residence. Details of the project can be found through the QR code.

The Residence organises performances and master classes several times a year, also with the support of embassies and cultural centres. This activity makes it possible to introduce foreign guests not only to the hospitality sphere of the Burabay region, but also to its cultural life.

In addition to the space for creativity, the ECG HORIZONS residence also houses a number of cultural and tourist facilities. The first is a showroom of exclusive and antique souvenirs - books (many of them autographed), paintings, handicrafts and so on.The second is the library, which presents a unique collection of books in various languages, revealing the rich heritage of Eurasian countries. Many books are only available at the

Residence. The most impressive part of the Residence is the Wall of Memory, on which plaques are placed each year in honour of deceased members of the ECG (London) who have left their mark on the history of art. In 2023, the wall was adorned with a mural of a starry sky, on which each resident was invited to leave a star. The mural was opened in person by the British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Kathy Leach.

Now the plan is to develop the residence and increase international tourism, as the Burabay region has only domestic tourists. Priority will be given to MICE tourism (as part of ECG events) and media support for the projects.

by Taina Kaunis, ECG HORIZONS Burabay General Manager

CONNECTIONS

JUST LEGENDARY

Surprisingly there are quite a few links between British Legends and central Asia. Quite a few of these links are already known, but it’s only really with the emergence of Central Asia onto the world scene that they are becoming better appreciated. Some of these historical links are mentioned below. I have had great fun discovering them. While in central Asia and Kazakhstan, I noticed several histories that could have been the origin of British legends. Some of these legends and histories were obvious and some were more subtle. The emergence of central Asia is bringing some of these legends to light. I will mention a few of them in this article.

1. St. Andrew and St. Mathew

St Andrew is famous as the patron saint of Scotland. Less well known is that Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scythia. Where is Scythia? Scythia is a group of nations, or nation, that existed on the central Asian steppe, Kazakhstan, and northern Eastern Ukraine/Russia starting hundreds of years before the time of Christ. The origin of the word Scota is Scythia or Skythai. According to several

CONNECTIONS

old documents, including the declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish were Scythian.

St Andrews remains where moved from a burial site near the northeast Caspian Sea to Scotland. Interestingly Saint Matthew was also rumoured to be buried near lake Issykkul. A map called the Catalan map, held in the Bibliotech National de Paris, clearly shows a monastery on lake Issyk Kul which is marked as the burial site of Matthew. I have been there myself. It was covered in Jerusalem roses, and you can still get into the catacombs, though they clearly haven’t been renovated since construction. The entrance was small and I only went in because a woman went first like a rabbit. “The spot is named Isikol. Here is a monastery of Armenian brethren, which is said to possess the relics of Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist”, reads the caption to a building in the oriental part of the Catalan atlas. St Matthew and Saint Andrew therefore seemed to have met their end in central Asia and Kazakhstan. I have sometimes heard that Saint Matthew died while visiting India. At first this confused me, but then I realised that the Tienshan mountains were, once upon a time, the border with greater India. Maybe the legends of Jesus spending his younger years in India are true, but that’s another story.

2. Princess Scota

Princess Scota, married to a Scythian Prince called Gaythelos, was the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh. Both Scota and Gaytheloss fled Egypt in exile around 1,300 BC, after losing a civil war in Egypt. First sailing to Spain, then to Ireland, according to various sources and ancient texts. Gaytheloss is said to have brought one of the ‘post confusion’ 72 Tower of Babel languages with him to Ireland; Gaelic. Gaytheloss was a Scythian prince, the Scythians being strongly linked to Scots. With strong links to Hebrew, Gaelic was likely descended from Egyptian, or at least had strong links. Princess Scota is said to have died while fighting a battle with the legendary Tuatha Na Danan in the south of Ireland. You can still visit her burial site today. The Tuatha Na Danan, along with the Picts of Scotland, were also supposed to be descended of the Scythians The Tuatha Na Danan were also known as the tribe of Dan from Israel. Several rivers, such as the Danube, were also named after them in Central Europe and Ukraine.

3. The Stone of Scone

Famously, princess Scota is supposed to have brought the stone of scone with her from Egypt. The stone of scone, or the stone of destiny, is famous because all English and British royalty is crowned while sitting on the stone. The stone is said to be an object of contention between England and Scotland, changing location between England and Scotland several times. Princess Scota and her descendants established themselves in Ireland. Eventually her Descendants went on to conquer Scotland from Ireland, where it is known to this day.

4. Gog and Magog

In guildhall in the centre of the city there are two giants; Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog are virtually described as individual tribes or lands in the North beyond the gates of Alexander. They are often associated with the Scythians or the Goths. Some of you may remember from your history lessons that Rome fell to the goths, such as the visigoths and ostragoths.

Each time there is a march upon an election of the Lord Mayor of the city of London, the traditional giant guardians of the City of London, Gog and Magog (or Gogmagog) are carried at the head of the procession.

Said to accompany Brutus who fled from the fall of Troy, in one legend, Gogmagog were throne to their death off the cliffs of Cornwall and Brutus founded new Troy, otherwise known as London. Gog maybe another way of pronouncing goth, with Magog meaning ancestor of goths in the same way that almati is the ancestor of apples.

5. Iron Curtain

The iron curtain was said to be an imaginary line dividing Europe between Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and western Europe and the UK. It was first coined by Winston Churchill in a speech in 1946. Churchill was referring to the gates of Alexander as mentioned in the Quran, built to protect the south from barbarian hordes. I have often wondered where the gates of Alexander are, the location being lost in time. After much research I have to come to the conclusion that they may have been located in the Talgar pass, in Kazakhstan, but may also be the wall that linked the mountains to the Caspian Sea. The gates was supposedly built to protect the south from the barbarians in the North. The implication of Churchill’s reference was that the Soviet Union was the barbarian hordes.

6. The Saxsons and the Sax

Chief of the tribes of Scythians, the Sax, had their capital city in Issik. I had the pleasure of visiting the small museum set up in several yurts dedicated to the ancient city of Issik. The old archaeologist pointed out several of the features in the landscape including the palaces of the horses. Set in a valley of geomantic circles, Issik was destroyed in a great flood. One of these geomantic circles can be detected around Talgar, Kazakhstan, in spring, and we visited one circle of special purple stones between Talgar and Issik. There is a stone circle like Stonehenge in the mountains above Issik, now closed to the public. The Saxons are the sons of the Sax, and the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons.The Sax supposedly travel down from Siberia following a great global flood. They may have travelled from what was once known as Hyperborea. The Kazakh’s are the spirit of the Sax, the ‘Ka’ coming from ancient ‘Ka’ and ‘Ba’; the ‘Spirit’ and the ‘Body’. My own name means the ‘spirit’ of the Don, or people; ‘Gas’, or Kaz, ‘ton’.

Of course, the Anglo-Saxons are well known to British history being ancestors. The tribe of Dan, the Danish, Denmark, are also well known in the Tuatha Na Danan,

or ancestors of the Irish. The Angles, or angels, are another story for another article, as are the Jutes, who also have Central Asian roots.

Although these legends are just that, legends, they each have multiple sources in historical and old documents. Many British legends have self-evident central Asian sources, even if these sources are not recognised as fact, or even at all.They have been fascinating to discover and reveal that the world was once interconnected more than we realise.

by Bruce Gaston

INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF EVENT TOURISM

Silk Road Media and the Eurasian Creative Guild (London) have been developing the tourism potential of the Eurasian region for 15 years through creative and business events, including literary festivals, art exhibitions, business forums, as well as road shows, creative meetings and much more. Thanks to these events, not only the direct participants, but also the general public learn about amazing places, and the destinations themselves become part of world culture.

The effectiveness of creative industry tools for destination marketing is undeniable. With relatively low direct costs, a strong PR effect can be achieved if you know how to create the right agenda and skilfully avoid ‘bottlenecks’. If you are planning an event that will increase the tourist appeal of your destination in the near or distant future, it is worth starting with a checklist of “ingredients”. Without them, the event will be “unpalatable” and will not have the desired effect.

Firstly, as strange as it may sound, you need a theme that appeals to the segment of tourists you want to at-

tract to the area. The business community is attracted by business forums and conferences, while travellers are attracted by iconic events, places or famous (even in narrow circles) personalities. For example, Rio de Janeiro has chosen a cultural theme, while Abu Dhabi has chosen a business theme, and the mix of travellers will be appropriate in both cases. ECG (London) specialises in attracting artists and cultural figures who not only come in person, but whose work creates a romantic image of a city or even a country, which ultimately attracts a much wider audience than, say, the literary festival itself. How many people are attracted to Paris, London, New York and other places mentioned in hundreds of books, songs and films? Such themes and the composition of the participants allow even small events to be really effective.

Secondly, the duration of the event. In order for an event to be really effective in attracting tourists, it makes sense to plan it to take place on a regular basis, once a month, once a quarter, once a year, once every two years, and so on. This allows audiences to

plan their itineraries in advance, prepare and make an effort to get to the event. The Cannes Film Festival, Milan Fashion Week, the Paris-Dakar Rally, the Brazilian Carnival - all of these events attract millions of tourists each year and generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for their local economies. ECG hosts four major festivals each year - the ECG Film Festival (since 2019) in London, the Voices of Friends: Poetry & Art Festival (since 2021) in Burabai, Kazakhstan, and two travelling events - Open Eurasian Literary Festival & Book Forum (since 2012) and Eurasian Creative Week (since 2016). Even during the pandemic, the festivals were held in hybrid formats, which helped to keep the events attractive to international audiences.

The third “ingredient” is the keynote speakers. The more prominent the speakers, the more attention the event receives. Speakers at ECG events have included popular writers Elchin Safarli and Janusz Wisniewski, Australian composer Warren Wills, Cannes winner and living legend of Polish cinema Krzysztof Pius Zanussi and British director and jury member of many international festivals Ovidio Salazar, as well as ambassadors and consuls of various countries and even the President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbayeva (she opened the 2012 festival in Bishkek). For the growth of domestic tourism, however, it is enough to create an opportunity for personal interaction with international participants, even if they are not A/B stars. This is the basis for the attractiveness of the ECG festivals, which each year attract delegations from dozens of countries.

Factor #4 - Partners. No event can do without partners in various fields, from the venue to the video shoot. It is thanks to a network of partners that it is possible to produce a quality event within a reasonable budget.The team at ECG (London) has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to organise and deliver an international level event in a short space of time with minimal resources. It is important to understand what the partners will get and to build partnership into the project idea at the planning stage.

The “fifth element”, without which the event makes no sense, is of course information support. It is this that provides the relevant PR effect. And it is often the most problematic area of any event.The ECG (London) team is confronted with problems in this area every year. And the problem is not the lack of journalists at the

events (there may be no journalists at all, nowadays you can take photos and videos with your mobile phone). The problem is that the participants and partners of the event are not always aware of their responsibility and their contribution to the wow effect. At our festivals, we often see that the partners practically disengage themselves from the process of reporting and attracting guests (even though it seems to be their direct interest), and often even hashtags for promotion on social networks are invented by the festival participants themselves (needless to say, this significantly reduces efficiency).

In addition to the nuances directly related to the event, there are other factors to consider in promoting the region. Logistics and cost are often the biggest concerns. Logistics refers to the accessibility of the destination (how easy it is to get there from the airport or other hub), the availability of visas for delegates, local hospitality and local infrastructure.

Cost is another stumbling block. On the one hand, there is a limited budget and it is worth detailing the financial and business model of the event at the concept stage to minimise unforeseen costs and perhaps focus more on working with partners and sponsors. On the other hand, there are the costs of visas, tickets, accommodation, meals, etc., and the value of your event to the audience should definitely be greater than the amount spent to attend. This is a subtlety that is often forgotten at the event planning stage.

The overall destination promotion policy is also important. Local authorities and tourism industry representatives should also be interested in the success of the project. If there is no one to talk about the region, give a tour, show a guide or at least welcome guests to their territory, the PR effect in terms of destination marketing will be zero.

Well-constructed events that work on the development of the territory’s brand often become an independent source of attracting tourists, financial, business and other projects, and their positive effect extends to all spheres of life in the region. Therefore, this type of tourism should definitely be considered as an investment project.

by Marat Akhmedjanov, Vice-Chairman ECG (London)

OPINION

TRAVELLING NOTES

Many famous explorers began their journeys after reading books.The travel notes of merchants, seafarers, warriors, and minstrels are helping us reconstruct the history of the Great Silk Road.The impact of literature on the development of the tourism sector cannot be overstated. But how are such books created? OCA Magazine’s editors interviewed Nick Rowan (NR), author of two books about travelling the Silk Road, and Gareth Stamp (GS), a teacher who has travelled the world through his work.

1.What was

the reason to write a

book? Why couldn’t you just travel or show your

When I made my travels along the Silk Road in 2006, Social Media was a thing of the future. Even phones had little internet connectivity almost 20 years ago. On my travels I started to write a daily blog, as well as a diary, and I used to have to find Internet cafes in the towns and cities I visited in order to log on and update folks at home about my travels. I also posted the blog on my website that I used to promote my travels along the route. At the time it felt like we had made huge technological advances, but looking back now it all feels rather primitive compared to today. I’m glad, though, because today I would spend much longer looking at my phone rather than looking at my surroundings and interacting with the people and places

Writing a book was not intentional. I had a number of sponsors who helped pay for my trip and for whom I needed to write a report about my travels. However, when I got down to writing it I quickly realised that I had so much to say about the people I met and their history that one page became ten pages, which then became ten chapters! It took me about two years to write the book and four years to edit it before my publisher told me to just let him send it out to print! That was Marat Akhmedjanov (Deputy Chairman of ECG) who was also one of

They say that everyone has a book in them - and I would more than agree with that! I meet so many people with interesting stories to share about their travels and experiences and

I never used to think of myself as a traveller let a lone a writer but I have always been an observer, seeing the details, the absurd, the humorous and the emotional. I have always had the verbal words to tell stories weaving them into tales but it has only been later in life that I have had the courage and the encouragement to write them down and compile them into a book.

I have always taken pictures and posted them on social media but although a ‘picture can be worth a thousand words, it can’t convey the emotions, relationships and the inner most thoughts - or the times when you don’t have a camera! I am not the sort of travel writer who

OPINION

has a ‘journey’ to record. It is more journalism, listening and viewing people - usually ordinary people who have extraordinary tales to tell.

2. How has the culture of the Central Asian countries impacted you? What was the most challenging thing? What impressed you the most? Tell more about your experience, please. NR: The culture of the Central Asian countries impacted me deeply. I fell in love with the region, but especially its people. Their traditions and culture have been moulded by millennia of trade and transfer of both religious and scientific knowledge across the Silk Road’s lengthy and winding history. Hospitality and generosity are two things that have been bestowed on the region’s culture as a result.You find it equally in the bustling cities and in the yurts in the steppes and mountain pastures. Although I travelled on my own, I never felt alone and could always find curious new friends to spend an afternoon or evening with. I often found that the people who had the least material wealth had the highest degree of kindness and generosity to strangers. It’s something that Western civilizations have tended to forget and would do well to rediscover.

In terms of challenging times, it was a difficult journey at times through some very unknown countries with a lot of bureaucracy. Officialdom often made it difficult to travel, be that at borders or having my movements closely monitored by the authorities in some places. It wasn’t always possible to just wander around as I would have liked or visit some of the really remote places. I also experienced guns pointed directly at me a couple of times in both Turkmenistan and Iran - the latter when I accidentally found myself stopped outside the Natanz nuclear facility without realising what it was!

GS: When I first arrived in Kazakhstan I felt like I was ‘home’, a deep rooted connection with the people, place and culture.There were challenges - language was the first one! But I am now an extrovert (something else Central Asia caused me to become!) and I am confident enough to shop in markets through mime and lots of pointing.There is always someone who wants to help, an innate yearning to help those in need.

Even the climate was not really a challenge - dress for it and get on with it! Why worry abut things you can’t change. This is a philosophy that has faired me well through my later travels too. My latest book (The Land of Frozen Tears) is a collection of these stories, experiences and people. There are some ‘travel’ talesthe train from Shymkent to Astana for example but the most impressive part of my experiences has been the people - resilient, determined and proud people.

3. How do you think travelogues impact the tourist traffic? What advice can you give to people who want to follow your route?

NR: I wrote a travelogue because I wanted to encourage people who might not immediately be so keen to travel through Central Asia to join me on my journey and see that it is a region of immense history, culture and wonder. By seeing the journey through my eyes you meet the people and places as I met them and can understand both the joys and frustrations of travelling through the countries I did at the time I did.

For any budding adventurous travellers, I’d certainly encourage them to follow my route. But the beauty of the Silk Road is that it was never one road so you can map out your own route through the countries and places that interest you and still be on the Silk Road and benefit from its rich history and wonderful people. Just make sure you grab a fistful of visas and a few words or Russian as you will get a lot more out of it if you can communicate a little with your hosts. Then come back and share your amazing stories with our community!

GS: I think travelogues are good indicators of what to do in a country but I feel that everyone has a different experience depending on the time of year, how they travel and even the mood the writer is in. I feel much happier reading stories, especially well written. I dont want to follow a map but to come across something that resonates with a tale that I have read. The photographs are enticing and gift an impetus to see it for yourself but my advice to people going to Central Asia for the first time is to go there with an open mind and an open heart. Give freely of yourself and you will receive ten times more in return from the amazing region and it’s people.

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS ON TOURISM IN CENTRAL ASIA

The pace of development of the tourism industry in Central Asia is impressive, and the international community is supporting these processes, sharing professional experience, discussing challenges and rediscovering the treasures of the Great Silk Road. Uzbekistan is increasingly hosting international events dedicated to the development of the hospitality industry.

For example, the 25th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) was held in Samarkand from 16 to 20 October. For the first time in history, Uzbekistan hosted this important biennial gathering of UNWTO Member States and Associate Members from some 159 countries. Travel agency heads from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Monaco, Niger, Panama, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Uruguay and Yemen visited the ancient city of Samarkand.

The new year 2024 began with the third independent Samarkand Tourism Forum on 9-10 February. It is a private initiative created by travel industry enthusiasts: event and MICE practitioner Sergey Makarov (Bishkek), travel entrepreneur Ravshan Turakulov (Samarkand) and tourism development expert Mikhail Shamshidov (Tashkent). In 2024, STF supported and co-organised

the USAID Entrepreneurship and Business Environment Development Project, and for the second time, the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages was the official partner, hosting most of the Forum’s business events. STF 2024 was dedicated to sustainability practices in tourism. The programme opened with a panel discussion with business and public sector representatives on “How to Make Public-Private Partnership in Tourism in Central Asia” and continued with round tables and discussions on “How to Become an Agritourism Destination”, “Tourism Development in Border Regions” and “Women’s Entrepreneurship as a Sustainable Practice”. The STF also initiated a “Negotiation Table” for Central Asian tourism associations on “Harmonization of Goals of Central Asian and Silk Road Tourism Associations”, which was attended by the Hospitality Association of Uzbekistan, Zarafshan Tourism Development Association, Sustainable Tourism Association of Uzbekistan, KATO and TACBT. The Forum gathered more than 200 participants and 60 speakers from 17 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, United Kingdom and United States.

From 29 February to 1 March, the Hotel Business Forum was held in Tashkent with the international participation of representatives of the Swiss and German

embassies, international and regional public and private organizations and companies involved in the hospitality sector. The event was organized by the Association of Hoteliers of Uzbekistan with the official support of the Committee on Tourism of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Forum discussed a number of applied issues of development of hotels as business entities in Uzbekistan, measures of state support for investment projects, statistical data of research in this field. Special attention was paid to the topic “Green economy in the development of the hotel sector: global experience”, where international experts presented the best practices and cases in the field of environmentally sustainable development of the hotel business.The forum brought together leading experts in hospitality, tourism and related industries from Switzerland, Germany, Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and other countries. Regional representatives of international brands such as Hyatt International (Europe Africa East) LLC, Hilton Worldwide, International Hotels Group, Radisson Hotel Group, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Dedeman Hotels & Resorts, Accor Hotel Group also acted as speakers. In total, more than 1,300 investors and market participants attended the event, which once again underlined the importance of the topic for the region and Uzbekistan’s readiness to increase the investment attractiveness of the tourism sector.

Another highlight was the first Central Asian women’s forum “Be woman”, also held in Tashkent on 5 March. And although the forum was not directly dedicated to tourism issues, but to women’s leadership, the integration of creative industries and tourism (especially the MICE sector) was clearly visible in the speakers’ reports. For example, a panel discussion entitled “Culture and Creativity: Uniting Central Asia’ was held as part of the forum.

In addition to major events, Uzbekistan regularly hosts exhibitions, meetings and other events dedicated to the development of tourism and the creative economy. The Editorial board of OCA Magazine notes that the growth in the quantity and quality of such events has increased several times compared to the period up to 2019, despite the pandemic and, in a way, thanks to it. Today, the tourism industry is one of the most attractive sectors of the country’s economy in terms of the investment climate.

IDEA

BRINGING SHAKESPEARE TO CENTRAL ASIA: CULTIVATING CULTURAL DIALOGUE.

AN ARGUMENT FOR A SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL !

In the heart of Central Asia lies an untapped reservoir of cultural richness waiting to be explored. While the region boasts a rich heritage of its own, incorporating the works of William Shakespeare into its cultural landscape would foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of both local and global artistic expressions. Establishing a Shakespeare Festival in Central Asia would serve as a conduit for cross-cultural dialogue, enriching the region’s cultural tapestry and fostering international connections.

Shakespeare’s themes are universal, transcending time, language, and geographical boundaries. His exploration of love, power, ambition, and the human condition resonates with audiences worldwide. By staging Shakespearean plays in Central Asia, audiences can relate to the timeless power struggles and triumphs depicted on stage, fostering empathy and understanding across diverse communities.

Shakespeare’s language itself is a testament to the power of communication. Introducing his works to Central Asian audiences not only exposes them to the beauty of the English language but also encourages linguistic exploration and exchange. As Shakespeare himself wrote;

“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” Through the medium of Shakespearean theater, Central Asians can engage with a

global audience, sharing their unique perspectives while embracing cultural diversity.

A Shakespeare Festival in Central Asia would provide an amazing platform for local artists to collaborate with international talents, fostering creativity and innovation. This exchange of ideas and techniques would invigorate the local arts scene, paving the way for future collaborations and cultural exchanges.

A Shakespeare Festival in Central Asia holds immense relevance in today’s interconnected world. By embracing Shakespeare’s timeless themes and language, the region can foster cultural dialogue, celebrate diversity, and forge lasting connections with the global community. In words from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,”

“O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in ’t!”

Let us embark on this brave new world of cultural exchange and discovery in Central Asia.

by Gareth Stamp

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EURASIAN CREATIVE GUILD (LONDON) AUTUMN FESTIVALS

From 25-30 September 2023, the resort of Burabay (Kazakhstan) hosted four ground-breaking events: Poetry & Art Festival III Voices of Friends: Poetry & Art, Literary Festival XII Open Eurasian Literary Festival and Book Forum, Burabay Social Film Festival (II BISFF) and Discovery Travel Forum dedicated to creative industries in tourism.

The festivals are organised by the British non-profit organisation Eurasian Creative Guild (London) with the support and participation of the hotels Rixos Borovoe, House by the Lake, Wyndham Garden Burabay, Park Hotel Kokshetau, Park House, as well as with the volunteer and technical support of the Higher Pedagogical College of Shchuchinsk.

This year’s important event brought together more than 60 poets, novelists, artists, musicians and filmmakers from 18 countries, making it the largest of the ECG (London) festivals in the last three years and possibly the largest ever held in the history of the Burabay region. Delegates came from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the UK, Poland, Lithuania, Israel, Russia, Finland, Australia, Uzbekistan, the USA, Georgia, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Pakistan, Germany and Belarus. This is the third time the festival has been held in Kazakhstan, and each time the participants take home the warmest memories. It is very encouraging that many of them keep coming back to the festival.

The festival programme began in the city of Shchuchinsk, at the ECG HORIZONS Burabay creative residence. On Monday, 25 September, there was an introductory meeting for the participants of the festival, where the guests could learn more about the rich programme of the festival period.

The next day, the programme kicked off - this year it included more than 25 personal presentations, an art exhibition, an art performance, the traditional Voices of Eurasia creative marathon, screenings of seven films and panel discussions with their directors, the Blue Diamonds of Eurasia assembly and other key events.

After the opening ceremony the delegates returned to the premises of the “House by the Lake” and “Park

Hotel Kokshetau” hotels, where most of the speakers’ performances took place during the festival and which became a kind of creative centre for the festival period.

The main event of the competition programme, the Eurasia Voices Marathon, took place on 27 September at the House by the Lake Hotel. The event was moderated by Anna Lari, Director of the Festival Department and co-founder of ECG. Each delegate introduced themselves and shared their creative products with their colleagues, who evaluated the performances and works of the participants, adding fractions of a point, which was decisive for some participants.

After the marathon, the festival participants moved to the creative residence of ECG HORIZONS Burabay, where the flags of Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Israel and, for the first time, Armenia were ceremoniously raised (the tradition of raising the flags of the participating countries was established last year, when the flags of Russia, Belarus, Wales and the personal flag of Hélène Corot were also raised). The flag raising ceremony was followed by the unveiling of a new plaque on the Wall of Remembrance in the Residence, which is dedicated to the memory of Guild members who have passed away or who have had a strong influence on their work. This year, the ECG Executive Committee unveiled a plaque in memory of the Guild Guardian who passed away last year - a beautiful young woman and writer, Torgyn Zholdasbekkyzyzy.

Baktygul Makhanbetova, a literary agent, gave a speech in her memory that moved everyone present to tears.

The busiest and most active day of the festival was 28 September, when three events took place simultaneously in the morning. The hospitable auditorium of the

Shchuchinsk Higher Pedagogical College became a platform for the screening of festival films and panel discussions with their directors. The moderator was Timur Akhmedjanov, a film director and illustrator from the UK. The audience had the opportunity to interact with British directors Sohail Loun and Kerry-Anne Kendall, as well as with the winner of the Eurasian Film Festival in London, Kazakh director Zhorabek Mussabayev.

Hotel “House by the Lake” gathered at the round table participants of Discovery Travel Forum, experts in tourism and creative industries from Poland, the UK, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and the USA - the discussion on the problems of tourism development in the Burabay region and presentations of experts from Kyrgyzstan, Marina Bashmanova and from the USA. Andrew Wachtel did not leave without making a lasting impression, stressing the impact of the meeting on rethinking key aspects of doing business.

The highlight and the most awaited event were undoubtedly the award ceremony of the festival and competition “Voices of Friends: Poetry & Art” festival and competition “XII Open Eurasia: Super Cup 2023”, which this year was held in a unique format: the best of the best - finalists from previous years - competed for the first places.

The awards were not just for the winners of the competition. Medals were also awarded for the contributions of the delegates. For example, Azim Akmatov, son of the Kyrgyz classic Kazat Akmatov, presented medals donated by Askar Aitmatov, son of Chingiz Aitmatov, a legend of the Eurasian and Kyrgyz literary world. The medal was created in honour of the 95th anniversary of the writer’s birth. Medals and certificates named after Barbara Jurkowska-Nawrocka were presented by Adam Semenczyk, head of the Polish-British organisation Poezja London.

Zhangeldy Meiramuly Tulegenov, Deputy Akim of Burabai District, gave a welcome speech to the festival participants.During the ceremony, Svetlana Yudina and Saltanat Khamzeyeva were honoured as members of the ECG’s highest governing body, the Guardian Council, and Kuralay Avutova, founder and author of the Inspire women’s education programme, was elevated to the rank of Ambassador. The gala evening concluded with a musical lounge by Warren Wills.

EVENTS

The next day, 29th September, foreign guests were able to immerse themselves in Kazakh national colours. On the premises of the ECG HORIZONS residence, there was a presentation of the world of Kazakh literature moderated by Baktygul Makhanbetova, a presentation of the public organisation “Novis” and the creative community of the Burabai region. Then a real holiday awaited the guests: a member of the Guardian Council from Israel, Alexander Kazarnovsky, immersed all present in an incredible atmosphere of celebrating the Jubilee of the future - the Jewish national tradition of Sukkot. In the evening, the guests were welcomed by a gala concert, where they were inspired by journalist, singer and producer Marina Bashmanova (Kyrgyzstan), composer Warren Wills (Australia) and the vocal-choreographic ensemble “Zvonnitsa-Naslediye” (Petropavlovsk).

The second international film festival BISFF ended on 30 September. The festival ended with a screening of Heavenly Team by Belarusian director Vladimir Alenikov at the Wyndham Garden Burabay Hotel, the festival’s partner in the village of Burabay. The audience enjoyed not only the film but also the new location. The winner of the Cannes Film Festival, the living legend of Polish cinema Krzysztof Pius Zanussi and the British director Ovidio Salazar, a jury member of many international festivals, sent their greetings to the audience.

The opening of the mural on the memorial wall of the ECG HORIZONS residence (Burabay) by the British Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Casey Leach, was a beautiful final chord that summed up the whole festival. The Ambassador noted the importance of such events and wished the participants further success. The mural was created during the festival by wonderful British artists Natalie Bays, Charlotte Trower, Kerry-Anne Kendall and Hannah Davies. As Natalie Bays, head of the delegation and director of the NGO NO Collective, pointed out during the presentation, the idea behind the mural was to demonstrate the unifying power of Eurasia. For example, tea with milk is both a very British and a very Central Asian drink, the tea set is decorated with national patterns of different countries, and the night sky is placed behind the composition. “Wherever we are, let us remember that we are all looking up at the same stars,” she concluded. Everyone at the ceremony, including the Ambassador, left their “star” in the night sky of the mural.

ECG would like to thank the general partners of the festival: Rixos Borovoe, House by the Lake, Wyndham Garden Burabay, Park Hotel Kokshetau, Park House Kokshetau and the Higher Pedagogical College of Shchuchinsk. Special thanks to the team of volunteers from the Shchuchinsk and Burabay settlements and the Central Asian Book Publishing House.

THE WINNERS OF THE CONTEST “XII OPEN EURASIA: SUPER CUP 2023”:

THE WINNERS OF THE PROSE CATEGORY ARE

1st place - Lusine Aleksanyan (Armenia)

2nd place - Murat Uali (Kazakhstan)

3rd place - Sergey Listvin (Lithuania) and Olga Shpakovich (Russia).

IN THE CATEGORY “SHORT PROSE” THE WINNERS WERE

1st place - Nurlan Toksanov (Kazakhstan)

2nd place - Nina Yagolnitzer (Israel)

3rd place - Rimma Ulchina (Israel).

IN THE “NON-FICTION” CATEGORY, THE WINNERS WERE

1st place - Marsel Salimov (Russia)

2nd place - Ludmila Voevodina (Lithuania)

3rd place - Irina Sapir (Israel).

IN THE CATEGORY “CHILDREN’S PROSE” THE WINNERS WERE

1st prize - Marina Alyasova (Kazakhstan)

2nd place - Lyubov Mosley (USA) and Afsana Lachin (Azerbaijan).

3rd place - Vitaly Lozovich (Russia).

IN THE CATEGORY “TRANSLATION” THE WINNERS WERE

1st prize - Bakhtygul Makhanbetova (Kazakhstan)

2nd place - Oleg Kunitsky (Belarus)

3rd place - Esenzhan Abubakirov (Kyrgyzstan).

THE WINNERS OF THE COMPETITION

“VOICES OF FRIENDS: POETRY & ART”

IN THE “POETRY” CATEGORY:

1st place - Andrey Grodzinsky (Uzbekistan)

2nd place - Elena Makarova (Uzbekistan)

3rd place - Alexander Kazarnovsky (Israel) and Gennady Gorovoy (Israel).

WINNERS IN THE “PAINTING” CATEGORY:

1st place - Sergey Babyakov (Kazakhstan)

2nd place - Anastasia Kalinovskaya (Russia)

3rd place - Raisa Belenkaya (Great Britain) and Larisa Pak (Kyrgyzstan).

WINNERS OF THE “ILLUSTRATION” CATEGORY:

1st place - Andrey Gurgish (Kazakhstan)

2nd place - Oksana Gordiyko (Ukraine)

3rd place - Anton Farutin (Russia)

WINNERS IN THE “PHOTOGRAPHY” CATEGORY:

1st place - Maria Muchinskaya (Belarus)

2nd place - Tatiana Ivanova (Bulgaria)

3rd place - Maria Priznyakova (Russia)

THE MEDALS OF THE ISSYK-KUL FORUM CHINGIZ AITMATOV FOUNDATION WERE AWARDED TO:

Theatre producer and composer Warren Wills (Australia),

Journalist and writer Kuchkar Narkabilov (Uzbekistan), Artist and social activist Natalie Bayes (United Kingdom).

THE BARBARA JURKOWSKA-NAWROCKA MEDALS WERE AWARDED TO:

Elena Bezrukova (Kazakhstan)

Mikhail Kunitsky (Belarus)

Lenar Shayekh (Russia - Republic of Tatarstan)

Raza Syed (Great Britain)

Daria Belkina (Kazakhstan)

Klara Kabylgazina (Kazakhstan)

Paulina Gable - Kravts (Israel)

Saltanat Khamzeyeva (Kazakhstan)

Shamsiya Zhubatova (Kazakhstan)

Munaidar Balmolda (Kazakhstan)

Andrey Grodzinsky (Uzbekistan)

Anna Lari (United Kingdom)

Temirbek Joldobaev (Kyrgyzstan)

Natalia Korshun (Russia)

Marsel Salimov (Russia - Republic of Bashkortostan)

Lara Prodan (USA)

Olga Egorova (Russia)

Dilorom Nishanova (USA)

Aijarkyn Kozhabekova (Kyrgyzstan)

Asel Ayapova (Kyrgyzstan)

Vlada Vityazeva (Georgia)

Indira Laktaeva (USA)

Marina Bashmanova (Kyrgyzstan)

Bayangaly Alimzhanov (Kazakhstan)

BARBARA JURKOWSKA-NAWROCKA CERTIFICATES WERE AWARDED TO:

Tigran Afyan

Marat Akhmedjanov

Sanzhar Dusenov

CONTENTS

THE SPIRIT OF THE GREAT SILK ROAD TREASURES

DISCOVERY TRAVEL FORUM: UNBOXING THE BRAND

TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE CENTRAL ASIAN REGION: KEY

AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR

THE MAIN THING IN BISHKEK IS CONNECTIONS

NEW MODEL OF TOURISM FOR THE NEW UZBEKISTAN

A HYPER-LOCAL WORLD

WHY IS BELARUS CONSIDERED THE TREASURE OF EASTERN EUROPE?

CONTRIBUTORS DISCLAIMER

LIKE A MOVIE. A NEW MODEL OF DESTINATION MARKETING

DISCOVER CENTRAL ASIA IN ITS ORIGINAL TRADITIONS

ADVENTURES OF EUROPEANS IN CENTRAL ASIA. GUIDELINES FOR GUIDES

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: NEW ATTRACTION

JUST LEGENDARY

INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF EVENT TOURISM

TRAVELLING NOTES

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS ON TOURISM IN CENTRAL ASIA

BRINGING SHAKESPEARE TO CENTRAL ASIA: CULTIVATING CULTURAL DIALOGUE.

EURASIAN CREATIVE GUILD (LONDON) AUTUMN FESTIVALS

1. All articles/interviews submitted, regardless of the way they were submitted (by the author, approached by members of our OCA editorial team or otherwise), are subject to the Editor-in-Chief’s and/or publisher’s approval at their sole discretion. Without such approval the article may only be published online, or may not be published at all.

2. Only articles/interviews submitted according to the “Contributors Guidelines” published on ocamagazine.com (such as articles being in the English language, on suitable and relevant subject, copyrights, number of words) will be sent to the Editor-in-Chief and/or publisher for approval.

3. Priority is given to ECG members, advertorial and commissioned submissions, however, priority does not guarantee that the articles will be published in print or online.

4. Editorial team members and/or the Editor-in-chief and/or publisher shall not be required to any explanation as to why articles have not been approved.

5. Articles approved by the Editor-in-Chief and/or publisher will not be sent to contributors for print/design/layout/text approval unless agreed in advance in writing.

6. The Editor-in Chief and/or publisher may decide to allow certain approved articles to be published only online only as we are limited in the number of pages (For hard copy publication) and financial ability.

7. Contributors may obtain one free printed copy (unless agreed in an advertorial contract) at our meetings in London or alternatively magazines can be sent by post at extra charge (P&P international rates apply).

Join Hertfordshire Press on a literary journey like no other! With our regular literary festivals and forums worldwide, in collaboration with the Eurasian Creative Guild, we bring you the best of modern fiction and popular scientific literature from Eurasian authors. Since 2002, we have published over 200 works from 15 countries, totaling more than 1,000,000 copies in print.

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