DUSHANBE, September 30, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Tajik government has elaborated the tourism development program for 2015-2020.

Chairman of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs, Akhtam Abdullozoda, has made this remark at a national conference formally titled “Hospitable Tajikistan – Country for Tourism” in Dushanbe.

According to him, both local and foreign specialists have participated in elaboration of the program that includes specific mechanisms for development of tourism and relevant industries in Tajikistan and regulation of tourism activity in the country.

“The program has been submitted for consideration to the parliament,” Abdullozoda noted.

Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s Association of Community-based Tourism has been presented on the sidelines of the conference.

The Association will be a national umbrella organization for the community-based tourism associations (CBTAs) in Tajikistan, reinforcing the roles and competencies of these organizations, and encouraging them to act as one unit, giving them greater reach and influence, and enabling them to improve standards, through best practice and knowledge sharing initiatives.

The Association has reportedly been established in the framework of the European Union project, Uniting and Strengthening Community Based Tourism Associations in Central Asia.

The project aims to develop and strengthen the capacity of Business Intermediary Organizations (BIO) to support SMEs in the community-based tourism (CBT) sector in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.  By improving the basic management capacities of BIOs, and developing their sectoral knowledge, these organizations will be better able to support SMEs, and to stimulate the CBT sector. This will benefit not only tourists in search of off-the-beaten-track beauty and adventures, but will also develop the rural economies of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, creating local jobs and improving access to diversified incomes.