UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan Visa-free Regime Put Off Till 2021

The decree of the President of Uzbekistan on abolishing of visa regime for tourists from 27 countries earlier planned for 1 April 2017 is postponed until 1 January 2021, reports Gazeta.Uz.

The proposal on visa waiver postponement has been prepared by the State Tourism Development Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior Affairs, State Customs Committee and other structures.

According to the new decree, the decision to postpone visa cancellation was taken to create necessary technical support and resources, to develop tourist activities in a sustainable and balanced way, to ensure the health and safety of tourists and residents, as well as to develop equitable economic cooperation with foreign countries.

The previous decree from 2 December stated abolishment of visa regime for citizens of 15 states and tourists aged 55 from 12 countries.

It is also to mention that introduction of electronic visas and the systems of "green corridor" customs control for foreigners at international airports of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench as well as separate passport control for residents and non-residents of the country at airports and railway stations, are also in the list of postponement.

From April 1, 2017 no visa is required for the citizens of Australia, Austria, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Finland, Switzerland and Japan to visit Uzbekistan as a tourist for no more than 30 days.

The same applies to the tourists over 55 years of age from Kingdom of Belgium, Indonesia, China (as a part of tourist groups), Malaysia, the USA, France, Vietnam, Israel, Poland, Hungary, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Citizens of these countries pay an entry fee of $50; the document confirming payment will guarantee entry into the country.

In addition, by April 2017 airports of the most touristic destinations, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench, will implement "green corridor" customs control for foreign tourists to simplify passport and customs control, baggage collection procedures.

At the airports and train stations separate passport control for residents and non-residents will be deployed to create additional facilities and accelerate arrival and departure procedures for foreign citizens.

Uzbekistan took the second place in the list of hot travel destinations in 2017 according to the Financial Times; it was reported on the official website of the newspaper. The rating was compiled from a survey of tourism market leaders.

It has been noted that The article says that demand has been boosted by recent books and television programmes on BBC and Discovery Channels.

For those without the months needed to make a full journey along the route, Uzbekistan offers a convenient taste of some of the highlights — including the mosques, mausoleums, mosaics and minarets of the ancient trading cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.

However, the allure of such sites has always been tempered by the difficulties of getting a visa. But from April 2017 citizens of 15 countries and travelers over 55 from 12 countries will no longer require any sort of visa.

Along with Uzbekistan, the Financial Times ranking listed Nepal, Kenya, Finland, the Andaman Islands, United Kingdom, Madagascar, Cambodia and New Zealand.

A group of archaeologists from China and Uzbekistan made a significant discovery during excavations in the ruins of the ancient city Mingtepa in the south-east of the Ferghana valley, reports the information agency "Xinhua News".

It was reported on Tuesday at the forum of archeologists of China Academy of Social Sciences.

The excavations testify that over 2000 years ago Mingtepa was not merely temporary garrison fortress of nomads, but a full value city-fortress, moreover, the largest one in the Ferghana valley. Studio ruins, remaining part of the western gates of the inner city and the cemetery at the eastern wall of the external city were found during the digging process.

Mingtepa, being located not far from the current city of Andijan in the south-east of Uzbekistan, once belonged to the territory of the ancient Central Asian State of Davan. Cooperative works carried out by Chinese and Uzbek archaeologists shed light to the research of the Davan.

Also, it gave a start to participation of Chinese archaeologists in the excavations beyond the country.

Mingtepa research will be a long-lasting project and the next step will be making the chronology of Mingtepa based on discoveries.

On April 5, 2017 Uzbekistan Airways launched a new flight connecting Tashkent and Lahore, reported the press service of the airline.

Tashkent-Lahore flights will be operated twice a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and aircrafts will depart from Lahore on Wednesdays and Fridays. Flight will take two and a half hours.

Journalist of the National Geographic Mark Synnott was a part of international expedition of speleologists researching one of the deepest caves of the world located on the territory of Uzbekistan and later shared his story on the Nat Geo website.

The depth of the unique cave in the Boysun mountains is estimated by the scientists to be 2650 m, however, no one yet managed to reach the bottom of the cave, thus its true depth is still indefinite.

The deepest cave known to the scientific world is the cave Krubera in Georgia, 2196 m deep, but "underground Everest" in Uzbekistan can already lay up a claim to this place.

The research of the cave began with the British speleologists in 1990 naming it the Dark Star after a fictional film of the director John Carpenter. Since then the cave had attracted speleologists and extreme lovers.

In his article Sinott describes the Dark star as a geological time capsule, because Mineral deposits found there reveal millennia of climate history.

Mark Synnott's article on the Dark Star will be published in the March edition of the National Geographic.

On 21 March 2017 the international passenger train № 1/2 Almaty – Tashkent was launched from the station Almaty-2 to cater to the growing demand of passengers in the region, as per the release issued Kazakhstan National Railways press-centre.

The train is formed of “Tulpar-Talgo” cars with a wide body. The train Almaty-Tashkent consists of 29 cars and will run twice a week. Travel time is about 16 hours 30 minutes.

KENYA: World Legacy Award Finals

The World Legacy Awards, a partnership between National Geographic and ITB Berlin, showcase the world's leading travel and tourism companies, organizations and destinations — ranging from entire countries to small islands and from urban hotels to jungle retreats — driving the sustainable tourism transformation of the global travel industry.

National Geographic just announced the 15 World Legacy Awards Finalists which comprise innovative travel companies, organizations and destinations which put sustainability into action.

This year’s World Legacy Awards entries spanned the planet, representing 45 countries and six continents, showcasing how sustainable tourism has no boundaries. Finalists in five award categories were selected by an international team of more than 20 judges. A multi-step judging process also included on-site inspections of each finalist.

From Africa, besides Kenya's Segera Retreat, has fellow Wilderness Collection's North Island from the Seychelles made it to the finals as did Mark Thornton Safaris from Tanzania, showing that Africa has what it takes to be ranked top in the world

Costas Christ, Chairman of National Geographic World Legacy Awards, said, 'We have reached a tipping point as more of the travel industry understands that there can be no future for tourism without sustainability, including environmentally-friendly business practices, protection of cultural and natural heritage, and tangible social and economic benefits to local people in travel destinations. Those countries and companies that understand this today will be the travel leaders of tomorrow. These 15 World Legacy Awards finalists are showing the way forward to a brighter future for people and the planet'.

For the first time the World Legacy Award Ceremony will take place in the Palais am Funkturm, the new official awards venue of ITB Berlin.

Said Rika Jean-François, CSR Commissioner for ITB Berlin: 'The World Legacy Awards, which are about to be held for the third time, have established themselves as highly prestigious for the global travel industry. The finalists will be introduced on ITB Wednesday to a truly international audience and the winners will be announced on the spot.

We are also happy to invite the finalists to present their innovative solutions to an international audience at our renown CSR Day on ITB Friday. ITB Berlin is strongly heightening awareness of the important issue of sustainability and responsibility in tourism and has also recently become a member of GSTC, the Global Criteria for Sustainable Tourism'.

The 2017 National Geographic World Legacy Awards finalists are:

Conserving the Natural World — Recognizing outstanding support for the preservation of nature, restoring natural habitat, protecting rare and endangered species, whether on land or in the oceans.

- Mark Thornton Safaris, Tanzania — This guide-owned outfitter works to protect endangered wildlife habitat by establishing indigenous community partnerships on the Simanjiro Grazing Easement of the Maasai Steppe, a critically important wildlife migration corridor and wildebeest calving ground.

- Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia — Misool actively works to protect marine habitat, influence policy, and empower local communities. They manage more than 350 square miles of marine protected area in the heart of the Coral Triangle - the global center of marine biodiversity.

- North Island, Seychelles —Hailed as the Galapagos of the East, this eco-resort’s innovative Noah’s Ark project has successfully reintroduced some of the Seychelles’ rarest species back to nature as part of their restoration of native habitat on the former plantation island.

Earth Changers — Recognizing cutting-edge leadership in environmentally friendly business practices and green technology, from renewable energy and water conservation to zero-waste systems and carbon-emissions reduction.

- Cayuga Collection, Costa Rica and Nicaragua – Reduce, reuse, recycle is a daily mantra at this ultra-green hospitality company. Innovative practices include a program to eliminate plastic waste (even drinking straws are reusable bamboo) and guests join back-of-the-house tours to learn how sustainability touches their vacation experience.

- Finch Bay Eco Hotel, Ecuador – Finch Bay’s closed-loop sustainable technology produces organic food for their guests with a high-yield process that conserves water, eliminates pesticides, and reduces carbon food miles. Their success is now being replicated by other Galapagos hotels.

- ITC Hotels, India – Demonstrating that large luxury urban hotels can set a new standard for going green, ITC’s 11 iconic city properties, spread across India, are all LEED Platinum certified – the highest level recognized by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Sense of Place — Recognizing excellence in enhancing cultural authenticity, including implementing vernacular architecture and design, support for the protection of historic monuments, archeological sites, indigenous heritage, and artistic traditions.

- Adventure Canada, Canada – Working closely with indigenous groups, this small-ship company helps native communities realize their tourism potential while protecting an authentic sense of place, including opportunities for Inuit youth to gain first-hand experience in archaeology, teaching about their heritage, and guiding.

- Awamaki, Peru – Located in the Sacred Valley, this non-profit rural community tourism organization works to empower indigenous women artisans and their families to alleviate poverty, while providing travelers with an experience of authentic Quechua culture in an immersive, sustainable, and respectful manner.

- City of Santa Fe, USA - If American pioneers from more than a century ago re-appeared in Santa Fe’s plaza today, they would recognize it instantly. The oldest state capital in America considers safeguarding its rich heritage a duty, including Fiesta de Santa Fe, the nation’s oldest continuous public celebration.

Engaging Communities — Recognizing direct and tangible economic and social benefits that improve local livelihoods, including training and capacity building, fair wages and benefits, community development, health care, and education.

- Andaman Discoveries, Thailand – Established in response to the 2004 tsunami, Andaman Discoveries immerses guests in the cultural and natural diversity of Thailand. All initiatives are local community-led: villagers decide a fair cost for their tourism services and 50 percent of profits support a foundation for community development.

- Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize – Belize’s pioneer eco-resort demonstrates that putting local people first benefits employees, villages, and its own bottom line. The Lodge provides economic benefits to community projects across the nation, directing 10 percent of all room revenue to support social and environmental programs.

- Chambok Community Based Eco Tourism/Mlup Baitong, Cambodia - When non-profit group Mlup Baitong began, Chambok villagers were faced with unrelenting poverty, resorting to illegal logging and wildlife poaching to survive. Today, this self-sustaining ecotourism project contributes 20 percent of its profits to a local fund supporting women’s micro-enterprise initiatives and community health care.

Destination Leadership — Recognizing destination stewardship, including cities, provinces, states, countries, and regions that are demonstrating environmental best practices, protection for cultural and natural heritage, benefits to local people, and educating travelers on the principles of sustainable tourism.

- Riverwind Foundation/Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, USA – Working together, these two organizations actively engage public and private stakeholders to support environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic vitality through destination stewardship policies and planning, including an open space resolution ensuring protection of 25,000 acres, and a Sustainability Code of Conduct for visitors.

- Segera Retreat, Kenya – This high-end ecolodge in Laikipia acts as an incubator for innovative technologies and conservation approaches that can be tested, refined, and replicated in Africa and beyond, including successful projects to enhance local livelihoods, support health care, protect endangered species and restore natural habitat.

- Slovenian Tourist Board, Slovenia - With nearly 60 percent of its land forested, the country of Slovenia has successfully laid the foundation to become one of the world’s most sustainable destinations. The Tourist Board unifies all stewardship initiatives through its Green Scheme, which sets guidelines and provides tools for monitoring sustainability progress.

The winners will be announced live on stage at the World Legacy Awards ceremony on the 08th of March, 2017, held at the Palais am Funkturm during ITB Berlin. Winners and Finalists will also be recognized by National Geographic Traveler magazine as part of the ITB events. ITB 2017 runs from the 08th to the 12th of March next year. ITB Berlin is the global travel industry’s leading trade show. In 2016 a total of 10,000 companies and organisations from 187 countries exhibited their products and services to 180,000 visitors, who included 120,000 trade visitors.

The sponsors of the World Legacy Awards are Adventure World and TreadRight Foundation. To learn more about the sponsors, visit www.adventureworld.com.au and www.treadright.org
For more information on the World Legacy Awards and this year’s Finalists, go to www.nationalgeographic.com/worldlegacyawards/ or http://www.itb-berlin.de/en/ITBBerlin/SocialResponsibility/WorldLegacyAwards/.

National Geographic Partners LLC, a joint venture between National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox, combines National Geographic television channels with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic Studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, catalog, licensing and e-commerce businesses. A portion of the proceeds from National Geographic Partners LLC will be used to fund science, exploration, conservation and education through significant ongoing contributions to the work of the National Geographic Society.

CHINA: Ivory Trade Fuelled By China

The US government on Monday last week banned trade in ivory as part of its effort to stem the killing of elephants for their tusks.

Until the US government's decision early last week, it had for the past few years restricted ivory trade in the USA as part of its contribution to the fight against killings of elephants in most African countries.

It's latest move comes at a time when Tanzania, which was one of the most hard-hit countries by poaching, is presently locked in a war against the vice.

It initially lost its war against poaching on account of numerous factors that had included, among others, abolition by the government of the retention scheme that had been introduced in the Selous Game Reserve.

For instance, in 1976, Selous had 110,000 elephants, but by 2014, the population in been decimated to 15,000!

Killing of elephants in most African countries and in the Selous in particular, has for years been fueled by growing demand for ivory products in the Far East countries.

What has exacerbated killing of elephants is the increase in demand for ivory products by the growing middle class in China, Vietnam and Thailand.

In the three countries, ivory has been transformed into an industry that is driven largely by booming middle class, in which some people covet ivory ornaments as a status symbol.

According to wildlife conservation groups, the Far East countries have encouraged the slaughter of some 30,000 African elephants a year.

And most of the slaughter took place in Selous Game Reserve.

The US government's decision to ban ivory trade in the country is however, not new.

It would, however, help in the long run to set a new, very encouraging development in the fight against poaching.

For instance, according to investigations conducted by the National Geographic Society, in 1989 the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), banned the global ivory trade.

And when an experiment allowed Japan to buy 55 tons of ivory legally in 1999, the resulting rise in smuggling caused China to consider the Japan experiment a failure.

But just a few years later, China began lobbying to be allowed to do the same thing, namely, to buy a limited amount of ivory to sell, in a tightly controlled market, domestically.

The country lobbied hard, and in 2008, CITES granted Beijing the request. That year, China bought, legally, 73 tons of ivory from Africa and at about that time, it also built the world's largest ivory-carving factory and began opening shops to sell artifacts.

As if that was not bad enough, the Chinese government would add ivory carving to its official register of Intangible Cultural Heritage, all in an attempt to further legitimise the industry.

Later the 'National Geographic' investigators went into some of China's carving factories in 2012 and discovered, in the process, how China's actions were promoting the legal and illegal ivory trade.

Instead of keeping prices for ivory low, the China raised them, making ivory more profitable to poachers.

Meanwhile, Beijing's plan to assign legally carved ivory products photo IDs backfired,the photos are so small that an ID used to identify a legal piece of ivory could easily be attached to an illegal one to legitimise it.

The photos were so small that it was hard to tell whether the piece in the photo was the same one being sold.

In short, China's internal ivory control systems have failed, hence increasing threat to the survival of elephants in Africa and Tanzania in particular.

Going by the foregoing narrative, China now holds the key to the continued existence of elephants in Africa.

And the only way to that is for China to do exactly what the US government did early last week--ban ivory trade in China.

Of course, given the manner with which the Chinese government had allowed trade in ivory to flourish in its country, it is going to be extremely difficult to undo what it has for decades done.

But the US government had faced similar problems in the past before it finally succeeded to do what it did last week.

The US government is reported to have for years faced opposition from one of the most powerful lobbying groups in that country, the National Rifle Association.

The association is said to have actively opposed the ivory trade ban in order to protect access to ivory-handled guns.

Historic decision

But the opposition finally failed, hence the US government's historic decision early last week.

The world is now waiting with bated breath for a move by China, which has repeatedly and rightly said (through its other past actions), that it was a friend of Africa--to ban ivory trade in that country and save continent's elephants.