Through AP’s support, he secured $10,000 in funding to purchase professional tents, sleeping bags and stoves, moving from improvised to structured services. Sunny Hostel has now begun working with tour operators such as OshTrips and Visit Alay, and involves young people: students volunteer as city guides to practise English before moving into jobs in tourism. “Sustainability is not just a word for us. We want to preserve nature, avoid artificial experiences and focus on real culture,” he says.
Local entrepreneurs, lasting impact
Other entrepreneurs have followed similar paths. Support from AP helped Meergul Karakozueva plan her project, set prices and establish a yurt camp in the Alay mountains. In 2019, she received two yurts and a solar panel that remain central to the camp. Electricity was added only recently, and water supply is the next priority. She later expanded her business by opening the Art Hotel in Osh city, and in 2023 received in-kind technical assistance (washing machine, built-in dishwasher, steam generator) after pitching at the Women CUP incubation programme.
Baktybek Nuridinov and his friends began by leading informal tours in Osh, introducing friends and visitors to Kyrgyz landscapes and culture. As demand grew, they joined AP’s acceleration programme, receiving training, mentorship and financing. This support helped them move from “amateur to professional tourism”, expand their tours, hire more guides and improve service quality, turning Around.kg. into a rising force for community-based travel in the region.
From high-altitude domes and mountain cottages to yurt camps, hostels and locally led tours, these and other entrepreneurs supported by AKDN are transforming the Kyrgyz mountains. Their ventures are creating jobs, preserving cultural heritage and offering lasting opportunities for communities in some of the country’s most remote regions.