Jean-Claude Beaujean Chairman of Tourism and Hospitality Committee American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan

 Jean-Claude Beaujean
Chairman of Tourism and Hospitality Committee
American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan

Q.    : Mr Beaujean, you have been living in Uzbekistan a long time, and you know our country very well. On the other hand, you are a European. Our newspaper is interested to know your vision and analysis of the tourism sector and its potential for development. What about tourism in Europe?
A.: In Europe, development of tourism began with the workers’ paid vacations. This happened in the 30s of the last century. As soon as the workers obtained one week, and then two weeks of paid vacations, they wanted to go to the seaside. Meantime, the governments of France and Belgium have established the Tourism Ministries to develop the tourism infrastructure. They began to build roads (including the railroads) leading to the places popular with tourists, to the hotels and restaurants, and even to public toilets.  This is very important!

The roads were provided with the traffic signs, so that the tourists, while entering a city (town), would be able to find their way to a hotel, market, museums and etc. The results were very good. For instance, today France is number one in the world both by the tourist inflow (70 mln people per year) and quality of service. Belgium receives 6.7 million tourists every year and earns USD 10 bln.  It is appropriate to mention here that there are no Tourism Ministries in these countries any longer. They have fulfilled their task, and now they are closed down.

Q. : What are the peculiarities of our country insofar as tourism product to be offered to  foreign tourist? What is your opinion?
A.: First of all, the weather in Uzbekistan is good and sunny most of the year, and this fact is attractive.  Buying tickets and vouchers 8 months prior, the tourists are sure that Uzbekistan will greet them with the sun. In Belgium, for example, it rains every week, and the tourists have to spend a whole day in the hotel. 

Secondly, there are historical monuments here. Everyone in the world is aware of Tamerlane and Samarkand and everyone wants to see it. Everyone has heard about Bukhara – the city of scholars and craftsmen. Bukhara was the spiritual capital city of Middle Asia. Many nationalities and people of differing religions peacefully coexisted here. Now, more and more people show their interest in Khiva and in the Savitsky Museum in Nukus.

Also, the unique taste of the fruits and vegetables attracts people to Uzbekistan. And, of course, the hospitality and kind-heartedness of the Uzbek people. We should keep in mind that most of the foreign tourists are older, and in many cases over sixty, and they highly appreciate a respectful attitude to the elders, which is inherent in the Uzbek society.   

Q.    : Which countries show the greatest interest to Uzbekistan? 
A.: Due to historical reasons, the biggest group of tourists comes from Russia, and the Ukraine. Formerly, Uzbekistan received up to one million tourists a year, and this number has to be achieved again. To do so, it is necessary to revive cinema, music and theatre festivals.

As to the far abroad, we call them the “New Tourists”. Europe discovers Uzbekistan for itself. Opening of borders after Independence favours this, as well as opening of direct flights to Paris, London and Rome … 

In 2008, Germans represented the biggest group of foreign tourists (15.000). Then the French (10.000-11.000) and Belgians (7.000-8.000) followed.  

In order to efficiently arrange the advertising campaign and attract tourists, it is important to know the preferences and historical traditions of the nations.

For instance, the Belgians and French are interested in the history and ancient monuments of Uzbekistan.

 The Japanese have a special interest in Uzbekistan. They always visit places associated with the Japanese army prisoners of the World War II (the Navoi Theatre in Tashkent and mines of Almalyk), as well as the archeological sites of Buddhism in Termez.

Tourists from the South Korea like the Tashkent Golf Club very much. A golf week in Tashkent (together with the flight) costs less than one day of similar golf in Korea.

Israeli Jews are very keen to visit Bukhara: everybody knows the legend about the eleventh (allegedly lost) tribe of Israel who the ancient writings say escaped exactly to Bukhara. 

Q.    : What part of the Republic’s tourism potential is not used in full yet?
A.: First of all, the diversity of the Uzbekistan nature is underused: mountains, deserts, lakes and rivers … It would be possible to arrange ecological tours (as they do in Africa) and stay overnight in the open air, so that the tourists would be able to hear the wild nature and watch the animals …   

It is possible to arrange tours for fishermen and hunters - not necessarily for shooting with a gun, but for hunting with a camera.

It is possible to arrange something similar to Paris-Dakar rally - to travel through the desert by jeeps – or walk along the mountain routes from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. 

It would be desirable, if Uzbektourism’s top-management were to visit Africa and adopt their practices insofar as safari’s and ecological tours.

Q.    : Do you think that tourism inside Uzbekistan is sufficiently developed? What should be done for its popularization?
A.: According to our information, more and more Uzbek families book hotel rooms. It does not matter that they mostly go to Charvak and Chimgan. More and more young newlyweds choose historical cities of Uzbekistan for their honeymoon trips. 

To develop tourism inside the country, it is necessary to establish routes and improve services. Now families, wishing to travel around Uzbekistan, are left to their own resources. Tour operators must take care of them: they should pick up the tourists at the railway station, transfer them to the hotel, book their restaurant and etc. 

Q.    : What problems do the tour operators face in Uzbekistan? How is it possible to eliminate them?
A.: “Uzbekistan Havo Yollari” Airways is the national carrier and needs to be more attuned to a wider range of priorities. The fact that it is planning to join the Sky Team Alliance is a positive step as it will make things much easier for travelers and tourists in particular. The same for ticketing and pricing where it’s important for the airlines to be competitive with the likes of what’s happening in other tourist destinations such as air travel costs to Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia and even the Caribbean.  

In terms of travel options it’s good that we now have Russian, Czech, Baltic and Turkish airlines competing for the growing number of travelers. Lufthansa will also renter the market providing service to Munich -  and while Uzbekistan Airlines may initially face increased competition, in the long run they will be the primary beneficiaries as they offer better options, more convenient   times, bonus tickets and a broader frequent flyer program. 
 
Many of the tour operators have asked that Uzbekistan Airlines be more flexible when it comes to groups traveling from distant locations during the peak tourist months. The same can be said for the Tashkent airport which needs to be made more “user friendly” for arriving and departing tourists. As an example, look at what is going on at the airport entrance – there are no roads for the buses, restricted entry to parking places, and no easy way to transport their luggage as the tourists are obliged to walk up stairs to the departure hall. Some provision needs to be made for the elderly, the handicapped and others who require assistance. As I have already mentioned, many of them are over sixty. 

Also, the tour operators complain about being unable to arrange the flights inside the country, as the flights are sometimes cancelled. They have to use buses and trains instead. If the trains are OK, the long bus trips make people tired. Because of this, the tourists lose one day of their ten-day trip.

Hygiene is the second important problem: it is possible to see people spitting on the ground whereas in China, for instance, it is strictly prohibited. Public toilets are also lacking and much in need..

Limited ATMs and the lack of cash strongly block the development of tourism. Very often the tourists cannot pay from their “Visa” cards, and cash money is not available at the ATMs.

Q.    : What could you recommend for development of the tourism trade, for attraction of foreign tourists and popularization of tourism inside the country?
A.: First of all I would recommend cutting the tour prices. Due to expensive air tickets, a ten-day tour to Uzbekistan costs €2000. One can easily use this money for a one-month holiday at a Mediterranean resort.

It is necessary to develop advertising facilities that highlight the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, taking into account the peculiarities of each country being targeted. We need to increase the number of festivals, for they attract people.


Q.    : What do you expect from the 43rd annual summit of ADB which will take place in Tashkent in May 2010?
A.: American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan maintains stable contacts with the Asian Development Bank. We are planning to conduct a joint seminar on tourism within the forthcoming meeting. 

Merci beaucoup, Mr Beaujean!

Calendar of AmCham events