Option E - Turkmenistan - Tourism as a Development Strategy

Question 1

Where is Turkmenistan?

Answer 1

• in the Middle East
• by Caspian Sea
• Central Asia

Question 2

What kind of country is Turkmenistan?

Answer 2

• remote country

- isolated country

Question 3

What is the population of Turkmenistan?

Answer 3

• 5.8 million

Question 4

What is the GDP per Capita of Turkmenistan?

Answer 4

• $7500

Question 5

What is the GDP growth rate of Turkmenistan (annual change)?

Answer 5

• 6.5%

Question 6

What is the Gini Index of Turkmenistan and what does this mean?

Answer 6

• 40.8

- meaning uneven wealth distribution

Question 7

What is the unemployment rate in Turkmenistan?

Answer 7

• 3.3%

Question 8

Why is tourism currently a small industry in Turkmenistan?

Answer 8

• after the break of Soviet Union, Turkmenistan became inaccessible
• earns most from the sales of natural gas, has world’s 4th largest reserves of natural gas → no need for large tourism industry

Question 9

Why is the government of Turkmenistan interested in developing tourism as part of its development strategy?

Answer 9

• the government wants to diversify the country’s economy and earn foreign currency by a large-scale tourism

Question 10

What can Turkmenistan offer its tourists through culture and historical tourism?

Answer 10

• has a history of 2000 years

- many ancient cities (e.g. Merv) to visit

Question 11

What can Turkmenistan offer its tourists through natural scenery?

Answer 11

• dinosaur footprints (Kugitang Nature Reserve)

- underground hot lake that one can swim in (Köw Ata Underground Lake)

Question 12

What can Turkmenistan offer its tourists through sports tourism?

Answer 12

• a variety of sport fields are provided, such as cycling, horse racing, etc.
• the Asian Indoor Games was hosted by the capital city in 2017
• seaside recreation and purpose-built facilities, e.g. the world’s largest indoor ferris

Question 13

Why was the development of the Awaza Tourist Zone in Turkmenistan unsuccessful and what were the problems of the tourism development strategy?

Answer 13

• most of the tourists need to obtain a visa - inconvenient, time-consuming, expensive process
• little public awareness - poor reputation on human rights and personal freedoms
• little investment in providing tourist infrastructures
• air connections to other countries are limited - difficult to access
• after a long time of isolation, a large influx of tourists could make locals anxious

Question 14

What are the benefits of tourism for Turkmenistan as a development strategy?

Answer 14

• tourism provides foreign income, reducing the country’s over-reliance on natural gas sales
• significant historical, cultural, natural attractions that are unusual and unique
• offers potential to provide employment
• provides opportunities for infrastructure development
• more investments
• government revenue increases