Kyrgyzstan has produced its first experts who will award “stars,” “edelweiss,” and “tunduki” to tourist attractions

On December 12, the first training program for experts of the State Classification System for Accommodation Facilities (SCSAF) was completed in Bishkek. The SCSAF is a tool designed to structure the tourism market and ensure uniform quality standards. The training was organized by the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Development Support Fund with the support of the ADB as part of the Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor project.

Seventeen specialists selected through an open competition participated in the program. Over two days, they took an intensive course on the methodology for classifying hotels, guest houses, yurt camps, and health resort facilities. Participants studied the evaluation criteria and the procedure for drawing up reports, and took part in practical classification based on the Ambassador and Solyutel hotels. The final exam served as an admission to the internship and subsequent certification of experts.

Director of the Department of Tourism Erdenet Kasymov emphasized that the SCSAF creates a predictable environment for businesses and consumers.

"The system establishes a uniform set of requirements for all categories of accommodation facilities. Tourists receive reliable information about the quality of services, and the market receives clear rules of the game. This is a necessary foundation for the growth of the industry," he said.

Deputy Director General of the Tourism Development Support Fund Apas Ryspekov added that experts will play a key role in the functioning of the system.

“We are creating a mechanism for objective assessment. Experts are the guarantors that standards will be met and that the classification will be professional and impartial,” said Ryspekov.

The SCSAF is forming a unified regulatory framework for assessing the quality of service in hotels, guest houses, yurt camps, and sanatoriums. The system introduces clear and transparent categories — “stars,” “edelweiss,” and “tündüki” — which allows for the unification of requirements and the creation of a single state register of classified facilities.

The methodology, developed with international experience in mind, including Hotelstars Union standards, has been adapted to the conditions of the Kyrgyz tourism market.