Officially the Kyrgyz Republic (Кыргызская Республика), Kyrgyzstan (Кыргызстан) is a nation defined by its natural beauty.

Joyously unspoilt mountainscapes, stark craggy ridges, and rolling jailoos (summer pastures) are brought to life by seminomadic, yurt-dwelling shepherds. Add to this a well-developed network of homestays and visa-free travel, and it's easy to see why Kyrgyzstan is the gateway of choice for many travellers in Central Asia. Find out more here

Although Kyrgyzstan’s mountains and lakes are an attractive tourist destination, the tourism industry has grown very slowly because it has received little investment. In the early 2000s, an average of about 450,000 tourists visited annually, mainly from countries of the former Soviet Union.

Currently there are several efforts to promote "eco-friendly" tourism in Kyrgyzstan. Helvetas, a Swiss cultural development organization, sponsored several projects of this sort, including "Shepard's Life," and "Community Based Tourism." The many tourist companies in Kyrgyzstan understand that "eco-" anything sounds very appealing to the many backpackers that come to their country, so they tend to use it to describe their organization, even if they do nothing to promote "low-impact" or "leave no trace" camping. However, the very nature of the type of tourists that are attracted to Kyrgyzstan dictates that most of the tourist attractions offered are aimed at enjoying the beauty that the local environment has to offer.

Community based tourism (CBT) was initiated in May 2000. This initiative has great support from local people and today there are 5 actively working CBT groups throughout almost the whole of Kyrgyzstan. For further development and coordination of the activities within the country, these groups have established their own umbrella organization, The Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association (KCBTA) – “Hospitality Kyrgyzstan”. The main objective of the KCBTA is to improve the living conditions of people in remote mountain regions, by developing rural tourism without harming the natural environment and culture of local people.