A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis of the Country, Central Asia. By the University of San Jose - Recoletos, Cebu. Students of Ms. Vale

1.  Notable for being home to the
'stans'
 Is an interesting region.
 As a bridge between Europe
and Asia, the region was the
home of the Silk Road, the
ancient trading route between the
two continents in the first
centuries of the common era.
 Is increasing in popularity
amongst travellers who want to
experience one of the world's
last great frontier lands.

2. is an area that was, until
recently, inaccessible for
independent travellers.
self-identification is an
especially touchy issue
Often they emphasise their
Central Asian identity, something
not well-understood by outsiders.
Corruption is an issue in most
Central Asian countries.
Countries such as Kazakhstan
are fighting corruption heavily.

3.  The region was the home of
the Silk Road, the ancient
trading route between the two
continents in the first centuries
of the common era.
 Some Central Asian countries
are beginning to find their feet
and offer good travelling
options.

4. Temperature fluctuations are
more severe.
Safety in Central Asia is a
complex issue.
While Afghanistan is famous for
the possibility of kidnappings,
riots and Taliban resurgence,
most other Central Asian
countries risk riots after years of
autocratic or near-autocratic
government.
Tibet and Xinjiang were
engulfed by riots in 2008 and
2009, respectively, while
Kyrgyzstan suffered through a
violent revolution in 2010.

5. Afghanistan
One-time backpacker
Shangri-La, but after 30
years of bloody (and
ongoing) war, famine,
and nightmare politics, it
holds considerably less
touristic appeal today.
Strength – Afghanistan has been the centre of many
powerful empires for the past 2,000 years.
Weakness – There is a short border with China to the far
northeast, but in extremely inaccessible terrain. is
considered poor compared to many other nations of the
world.
Opportunities – country is currently going through a
nation-wide rebuilding process. ►

6. Kazakhstan
The world's largest landlocked
nation is sparsely populated,
dominated by archetypal Central
Asian steppe, with deep reserves of
fossil fuels, and pockets of beautiful
wilderness for outdoors enthusiasts.
Strength – Achieving a sustainable economic growth outside
the oil, gas, and mining sectors, and strengthening relations
with surrounding states and other foreign powers. Is well
known for rather unique natural and geographic conditions. It
is an area rich with ancient history and culture known for such
monuments of medieval architectures.
Weakness – Kazakhstan suffers from extensive corruption,
ranking 120th among 180 countries in the transparency
internationals corruption, perception index. This has proved
detrimental for the country’s business growth. The slowdown in
the pace of structural reforms has made Kazakhstan less
attractive in terms in doing business compared to other
transition economies.
Opportunities – It has large oil and natural gas reserves.
Expanding the development of the country’s vast energy
resources and exporting them to world markets. ►

7. Kyrgyzstan
A truly beautiful country high in the
mountains, and with the exception
of the admittedly fascinating but
unsafe Ferghana Valley, Central
Asia's easiest and perhaps most
pleasant place to visit.
►
Strength – is a Central Asian country of incredible natural
beauty and proud nomadic traditions.
Weakness – Landlocked and mountainous, it
borders Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west,
Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the southeast.
Opportunities – Kyrgyzstan introduced a visa-free regime for
citizens of 44 countries up to 60 days.
President of the Kyrgyz republic signed the Law "On
introduction of visa free regime for citizens of some countries
up for to 60 days." the law was adopted in order to simplify
procedures for issuing visas to foreign citizens and increase
the attractiveness of the tourism market, tourism development

8. Tajikistan
Central Asia's poorest
backwater, is truly is off the
beaten path, but with incredible
landscapes and Persian culture,
and off-again, on-again civil
wars.
►
Strength – the nation is unique in that the majority culture is
non-turkic, unlike its neighbors to the north and west and east.
Weakness – is the poorest country in central asia and one of
the world’s poorest.
Opportunities – is a stunning place and there is plenty to do,
from the Silk Road mystique of places like Khujand and
Istaravshan, to the stunning, untouched mountain scenery of
the pamirs and their accompanying allure of unclimbed pics
and virgin trekking roots.
Threats – there is no working purification system, and
outbreaks of typhoid and cholera (rarely) are common. Other

9. Turkmenistan
An amalgam of desert moonscapes
and arid mountains, dotted with the
ruins of great ancient civilizations,
and ruled until recently by a post-
Soviet lunatic cultivating one of the
most bizarre cults of personality in
history, this is off-the-beaten-path,
difficult (courtesy of rotten
officialdom), but potentially very
rewarding travel.
►
Strength – is a very unusual regime. The
government is in firm control of nearly everything.
Officially tourism is welcomed, but onerous Soviet-
style visa requirements discourage all but the most
determined visitors. It is the 2nd Wealthiest country
in Central Asia.
Weakness – It is a fairly poor country that has been
isolated from the world.
Opportunities – The country has extensive oil and

10. Uzbekistan
With cities such as Samarkand,
Bukhara, Khiva, Tashkent, and
other old Silk Road citadels, this
country has way more than its fair
share of culture and history. The
people are warm and friendly and
the country naturally is nothing
short of beautiful. The government
will go out of its way to complicate
your trip, though.
►
Strength – is a country with great potential for an expanded
tourism industry. Attracts tourist with its historical,
archeological, architectural, and natural treasures.
Weakness – the general decline of trade moving through the
region. This change had begun in the previous century when
ocean trade routes were established from Europe to India and
China, circumventing the Silk Route.
Opportunities – Some of the well established restaurants are
surprisingly good value by western standard, some of the
random or last popular restaurants try to take advantage of
tourists by riping off up to 5 times of normal price.