Today, we are collecting the testimony of Alina Baetova, director of the local travel agency Kyrgyz What ?, member of the Nomadays network. From Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Alina shares her feelings about the current situation and the consequences of coronavirus on the country and her professional daily life.
"It's a real blow. Our guides, drivers and hosts live mostly only from the revenue of the summer season to feed their families throughout the year."
A tourist season brutally cut short at the start
March 21st was supposed to celebrate the grand Nowruz festival in Kyrgyzstan, the local new year. Nomadic games, dances, concerts and traditional dishes were to mark this festival eagerly awaited by Kyrgyz people but also by many travelers. Nowruz generally marks the beginning of the tourist season for Kyrgyz'What and for the families preparing to welcome groups. But a completely different reality hits the start of the year: border closures, the declaration of a state of emergency and the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic in the country.
"Fortunately, we postponed our first group of clients early enough, as soon as the government took restrictive measures towards tourists. So we didn't have to repatriate travelers." For Alina and her team, it's a real blow because the tourist season in Kyrgyzstan only lasts a few summer months. "It's especially disheartening for our partners, who are largely simple Kyrgyz families. Since the creation of our agency, we prioritize stays with locals in small villages, to participate in local development. Our guides, drivers and hosts live mostly only from the revenue of the summer season to feed their families throughout the year. We're doing everything we can to reassure them, hoping that the situation will be resolved soon, and we will try to expand our offer outside of this high season, once the pandemic is under control, to continue supporting these families."
"The priority is to limit the spread of Covid-19 as much as possible and to save lives"
Staying connected despite the distance
"Of course it's difficult, we don't know how to live during this crisis. But we're not the only ones finding ourselves without a salary in our country. Since the beginning of the state of emergency, many people are unemployed, and in a country like Kyrgyzstan, few families have savings. But we all understand that the priority is to limit the spread of Covid-19 as much as possible and to save lives.
The Kyrgyz'What team stays in touch with its clients to keep them updated on the situation, check in on them and lift their spirits, because economically and morally, it's not easy for anyone. It's not easy for our clients either. We were expecting them eagerly, and many are disappointed not to be able to take the trip we had been planning together for months. But the time will come, we just need to arm ourselves with patience and friendship. We will always welcome them with open arms and smiles, perhaps even more so now when we realize how much of a privilege it is to travel."
"I remain optimistic about the future of our profession and our destination. Many travelers now understand the importance of having a contact on the ground in case of difficulties."
Rethinking travel for tomorrow
"Above all, I think that after this period of lockdown, people will want more than ever to travel, hike, enjoy nature and the great outdoors, reconnect with simple, pure and sincere life. Even I look from my window at the snow-capped mountains and dream of getting out of the city, of walking, of sleeping under a yurt… I hope the world will quickly heal and control Covid-19, to limit victims and so that we can get out of our homes again. We will surely have to rethink the way we travel, meet others and live, quite simply."
