Author(s):
Irena Mrak, MSc. - University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography, Askerceva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract:
The paper follows the history, recent development and future prospects for
tourism in mountainous regions in Central Asia. In recent years a
radical change has occurred in both the culture and the economics driving
the forces of mountain tourism development. Mountains are now seen as a source of
revenue as more tourists seek out remote places on the planet. How this new
flow of revenue will be managed and directed is an ongoing issue. Due to diverse political history and recent situation in the region the paper presents case studies of three different mountain areas - Kyrgyzstan, the Wakhan corridor in Afghanistan and the Karakoram in Pakistan. For recent developments in mountain tourism the paper canvasses the growing list of companies in the mountain tourism industry, as well as foreign aid efforts designed to raise the level of service in Kyrgyzstan, the foreign NGO (Mountain Wilderness International) efforts to establish a peace park in the Vakhan corridor in Afghanistan and the specific mountain tourism expansion in the Karakoram range of Pakistan. The best days for mountain tourism development are still in the future, but this is not guaranteed and will happen in the subordination of global political situation as well as only if the concrete steps to market the region will be taken and if the local companies and workers will be prepared to face the challenge.
