PERETO: Supporting Sustainable Tourism in Kyrgyzstan Tourism is a key driver for the Kyrgyz economy and a national priority sector. However, hotels, restaurants and cafes (HoReCa), as main growth generators are faced with numerous serious challenges, including unreliable energy and water supply. Regular power blackouts outside major cities disrupt business operations and incur additional costs to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the tourism branch. The PERETO project aims to work with SMEs from this sector as well as the consumers to promote production and consumption practices that lead to a more sustainable growth. PERETO, which stands for ‘Promotion of Energy Security and Sustainable Growth Through Increased Energy and Resource Efficiency (ERE) in Tourism SMEs in Kyrgyzstan,‘ aims to support the advancement of sustainable production and consumption (SCP) practices and energy and resource efficiency (ERE) among SMEs in Kyrgyzstan’s tourism sector. To achieve this, PERETO engages not only with SMEs but also their business associations, public authorities, financial institutions, ERE solutions and service providers, as well as universities, tourists and local residents. A strong focus of the project lays on consumer perspectives and needs. With regard to that, the project will develop a collection of open-access digital products that will make it easier and quicker for tourists and local residents to adapt to more sustainable consumption practices and lifestyles. As part of that, ‘green’ hotels, restaurants and cafes will be located in seven target provinces in Kyrgyzstan to help consumers make informed choices. In particular, the CSCP will develop a consumer e-guidebook on sustainable consumption and sustainable lifestyles, containing practical guidance and green tips for HoReCa consumers. The project aims to reach out to 300,000 tourists and local residents via its digital communication products and 3,000 SMEs from the touristic sector. The PERETO project is one of the six projects that were launched in March 2020 as part of the SWITCH-Asia Programme in Central Asia. On the occasion of the opening event, Francois Begeot, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Uzbekistan, noted the importance of the SWITCH projects in creating a platform for exchanging information, best practices and accelerating impactful activities in agri-food, tourism and textile sectors. “This is a great opportunity for scaling-up and replication of good practices”, he stated. In the PERETO project, the CSCP will work together with the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), UNISON Group (Kyrgyzstan) and Technopolis Group (Belgium). The project is funded by the European Union, via the SWITCH-Asia programme which supports Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in 24 countries in the Asian region. For further questions, please contact Kartika Angraaeni. Photo by Frantisek Duris on Unsplash