Turkic states join forces to develop ski resorts
The Union of the Turkic Ski Resorts held an international summit at the Shahdag Tourist Center in Azerbaijan from July 11 to 14.
During the event, the union welcomed new members, including Kazakhstan’s Oi Qaragai, Turkey’s Erciyes and Ejder 3200, and Azerbaijan’s Tufandag. From now on, these resorts are equal members of the union along with Shymbulak (Kazakhstan), Shahdag (Azerbaijan), Uludag (Turkey) and Amirsoy (Uzbekistan).
Among the key decisions made during the summit was the introduction of a single loyalty program card, allowing tourists to access discounts and benefits across all union resorts.
«What’s the benefit for tourists from Kazakhstan? The ability to travel between the union’s resorts under the same conditions with benefits, recognition of season passes, participation in a common loyalty program, convenient tour selection via a digital platform and quality improvement thanks to experience exchange,» said Rinat Abdrakhmanov, CEO of Shymbulak Mountain Resort.
Other topics discussed included cooperation, addressing seasonality, staff training and promoting winter sports and recreation in the Turkic countries. For instance, Shymbulak presented an initiative to establish a single training academy for technical personnel and snowcat operators in partnership with PistenBully. The summit also explored plans to create a shared candidate pool and a personnel exchange program between union resorts.
The Union of the Turkic Ski Resorts was established last fall. In addition to this alliance, Kazakhstan’s mountain resorts are also members of the Eurasian Mountain Resorts Alliance.
In late May, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov was shown the Almaty Mountain Cluster development plan, which, according to the Tourism Industry Committee under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, is expected to become the largest year-round tourism project in Central Asia by 2029.
The Turkic states — Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan —have been deepening their regional cooperation through a series of strategic initiatives that reflect a shared vision for economic integration, cultural exchange, and joint development. For instance, they agreed to establishthe Turkic Investment Fund in 2023.
