Martin Smith - STV, Kazakhstan Tourist Agency

The blockbuster movie ‘Borat’ may have put Kazakhstan on the map for all the wrong reasons, but VSO volunteers in the country are working to promote an authentic experience of the country through a new eco-tourism scheme.

Capitalising on the country’s 3000 lakes, picturesque mountains and numerous wildlife viewing opportunities, VSO volunteers have been working with the Kazakhstan Tourist Association and local NGOs for a number of years. They are helping to ensure an income for the poorest rural communities by developing the country’s eco-tourism facilities. Volunteers created the website www.ecotourism.kz back in 2004 and the following year helped establish an Eco-tourism Information and Resource Centre, the country’s first tourist information centre of any kind, in Almaty. Volunteers are also working with rural communities to develop programmes of activities for visitors as well as home-stay schemes that enable tourists to stay with local families and receive full board

Earlier this year Martin Smith completed a six-week specialist assignment to help develop a rating system for these home stay lodges. Martin first volunteered with VSO in the 70s, but after a long career with BT he took early retirement and decided to put his management experience to use again by volunteering again. He is complementing the work of the long-term volunteers by establishing standards that ensure the accommodation being developed meets tourists’ basic requirements, such as adequate washing facilities, and also provides a real experience of Kazakhstan. What tourists might perceive as a lower standard of comfort could simply represent a different way of life and Martin makes an effort to strike a balance between the two.

Talking about making a success of short term assignment, Martin says, “The key thing is being prepared beforehand so I did quite a lot of work before I arrived, establishing what exactly was required of me and researching the country. My colleague here is a long term volunteer, Adam Kennedy, and we exchanged a lot of information and developed a lot of basic groundwork over email which meant I was able to start work quickly”.