DUSHANBE, April 11, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Over the first quarter of this year, we have revamped the tourism sector, Lochin Fayzulloyev, the deputy head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs, announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on April 10.

According to him, they, in particular, eased visa rules for foreign tourists.  “A new type of visa – tourist visa – will be introduced in the country beginning on April 27,” said Fayzulloyev, “Under the new visa rules, to get tourist visa for foreign citizens or persons without citizenship, it will take tourist companies only apply to the MFA consular department or Tajik diplomatic mission abroad with letter of invitation and the tourist visa will be issued to them.”

Moreover, the procedure of registration of tourists is also eased, the official said.  “Earlier, tourists had had to register with the visa and registration department of the Ministry of Interior within three days of their arrival in Tajikistan, while in accordance with new visa rules, tourist do not have to register if they stay in the country not more than 30 days,” Fayzulloyev said.

Besides, mount climbing fees have been revoked – before that, foreign mountaineers had had to pay US$50.00 for climbing mounts up to 6000 meters high and US$100.00 for climbing mounts above 6,000 meters high.  The fee of US$1.00 for each day of staying in Tajikistan has also been revoked.

All this allows foreign tourists reducing their expenses on one travel to Tajikistan by US$200.00, the deputy head said.

He noted that those anti-crisis measures would allow raising the country’s rating in the sphere of tourism under the conditions of competition among the countries of the region.  “Thus, such reductions are not stipulated in Kyrgyzstan, which has similar nature conditions and tourist infrastructure,” Fayzulloyev said, adding that up to one million or even more tourists visit neighboring countries a year, while little more than 400,000 foreign tourists visited Tajikistan last year.