Our mission

MISSION STATEMENT

• Let people know about Kyrgyzstan!
• Development of sustainable tourism in Kyrgyzstan through the professional attitude and best quality of our tours.
• Making our customers feel like home and offering them the best, unique and unforgettable tour product with maximum comfort.

VISION STATEMENT

• To make Kyrgyzstan well-known and trusted destination in the World Tourism Industry.
• Progressive thinking, following trends, integration and development of novelties in tourism.
• Exchange of experience and receiving necessary knowledge for the successful development of tourism in Kyrgyz Republic.

OUR VALUES

• Our nature is unexplored tourist destination left on earth. We want it to remain the same for the future travelers and our children.
• Our customers are the best valued guests and we keep the ancient traditions of hospitality making them feel safe, comfortable and happy.
• Our employees are our family and we want them to develop themselves and remain with us for a long time.
• Attention to minor things when conducting tours in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
• It’s never late for education and creative growth.

AK-SAI TRAVEL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Our attention on environmental, social and economic responsibility includes working within the law on issues that are important to us and our stakeholders. We are committed to tend to providing high quality services to our guests, treat the environment with care, and submit the best conditions of cooperation for our employees, suppliers and all parties involved.

Our office:

• The printing machines in our office are set to double-sided printing (or other paper saving modes) by default;
• We only buy paper with an FSC certificate;
• We use electronic methods more often for marketing campaigns, and release all brochures and printed materials without specifying a date so that they can be used longer;
• We use more emails instead of printed documents;
• We have purchased reusable tableware for employees in the office;
• We turn off the equipment (computers, printers, air conditioning) when it is not in use, and set the equipment to power saving mode by default;
• We turn off the lighting when there is no one in the room-the guard who is on shift is responsible for ensuring that everything is turned off;
• All lamps in our office are energy-saving;
• We don’t leave chargers plugged in without device.

Our tours:

• We don’t offer excursions that harm people, animals, plants, natural resources, or that are socially and culturally unacceptable;
• During the travel to natural areas we refuse disposable plastic and don’t leave garbage (we safely collect it and recycle at the designated points);
• We don’t promote souvenirs, containing species of flora and fauna, under threat of extinction, as specified in the contract CITES and in the “Red list” by the IUCN; or, historical and archaeological artifacts (except as expressly permitted by law);
• We consult our guests on standards of conducting during excursions and events with an emphasis on respect for local residents and communities, local culture, nature and the environment;
• We organize tours in such a way as to avoid a large crowd of people in one place in order to reduce the load on the terrain.

Excursions with the participation of animals:

• We don’t offer any excursions involving wild animals in captivity, except for properly regulated activities in accordance with local, national and international legislation;
• We are not related to companies who are engaged in mining, consumption, exhibit, sell or trade in wild animal species, unless it is part of a regulated activity that ensures that their use is sustainable and in accordance with local, national and international laws;
• We think twice before organizing tours with animals;
• We select experienced suppliers who comply with the norms and laws of the Kyrgyz Republic, and treat their animals with care and responsibility;
• We instruct our tourists on how to behave properly with animals in order to avoid any risks; if tourist is in an alcoholic or drug intoxication we don’t allow him to take part in excursion with animals;
• All animals that take part in tours or shows are well fed, live in good conditions and treated with care.

Special rules concerning horse riding tours:

• We select an experienced supplier and stableman
• Equipment – we check the helmet of tourists
• We check the load capacity (people – up to 100-110 kg, porter up to 80 kg)
• Distance – about 16 km per day, horse use time – 6 hours in mountainous conditions, on a straight track – 8 hours

Special rules regarding shows involving birds of prey:

• We don’t use Red Book birds (falcons)
• We check the availability of appropriate equipment (the presence of a bag, etc.)
• We don’t take the birds out of their usual habitat
• We observe the appropriate clothing of tourists (no hanging elements in the clothes)
• While shooting – it is not allowed to use drone

Guides and tour leaders:

• We hire exclusively local residents as guides and provide a fair and safe working environment that supports and respects local communities.
• Hiring guides, we maintain decent payment and working conditions
• We specifically instruct all our guides about each tour
• All our guides know the rules of health and safety, know how to provide first aid and what to do in case of emergency
• We hire only qualified guides to accompany our guests, especially when we visit sensitive cultural sites, heritage sites or environmentally sensitive areas.

Transport:

• We comply with all the requirements of the law of the Kyrgyz Republic (insurance, patents, etc.)
• We monitor the safety and technical serviceability of transport (and the availability of seat belts)
• We monitor the drivers’ driving time
• We check the competence, experience of drivers, and also reviews of them.
• We maintain the comfort and cleanliness of transport
• Check the availability of first aid kit and fire extinguisher and other necessary means
• We follow the obligations of safe driving and compliance with traffic regulations.
• We check the availability of access documents to the border territories.
• Choose the size and type of vehicle depending on the size of the group
• Optimize routes so that the time in transport doesn’t take longer than necessary

Customers:

• Customer welfare and satisfaction are very important to us.
• We provide high-quality and truthful information about our products and services
• We protect private data and customer privacy
• We inform clients before arrival about how to prepare for a visit to our country and a specific tour
• We motivate customers to visit local restaurants and shops, buy local souvenirs
• We systematically assess the level of satisfaction of our customers and take all measures to improve services and products. In case of complaints we consider them and respond quickly.

Accommodation facilities:

• We choose accommodation in accordance with the standards of the company, the specifics of the tour, the budget and the specifics of the tourist.
• All accommodation objects with which we cooperate belong to local residents and 100% of their employees are representatives of the local community
• All our facilities are in good technical condition and meet health and safety standards, for example, each has a first aid kit, fire-fighting equipment
• The food offered is always fresh of high quality, if possible, grown and produced in Kyrgyzstan; meat, vegetables and dairy products are bought from farmers who live near to the accommodation places.

Food and drinks:

• Use locally produced food and beverages and promote as much local shopping as possible during tours and excursions.
• We comply the preferences of tourists in nutrition (upon prior request, we will prepare meals taking into account dietary preferences and allergies, for example vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, etc.)
• Minimize food waste, for example, optimize the serving size
• We reduce the usage of water in individual disposable bottles. Instead, we offer water from a large dispenser and ask our customers to use reusable bottles. Regardless of the condition, our water is always absolutely safe
• We do not use disposable tableware when serving food in restaurants and during hikes. We have reusable glasses, mugs, plates and appliances.