CBT Saty

CBT Saty: a local community in the heart of Kazakh Tien Shan

South of the Kungey Alatau, the village of Saty provides access to Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy Lake. The surrounding area also includes valleys, spruce forests, mountain passes, pastures, and mountain trails suited to hiking, horse riding, and discovering Kazakh culture. In Saty, tourism has become a complementary economic activity, developed by local residents through accommodation, guiding, and local services.

CBT Saty brings together families and village residents offering their own accommodation and services. Jyldyz, the association’s coordinator, centralizes requests and distributes them among network members. Travelers can stay with local families, discover traditional cuisine, go horse riding with local guides, or take part in cultural activities. This organization enables a larger share of tourism revenue to reach the people who live and work in Saty.

Cooperation with CBT Saty goes beyond marketing accommodation. The guesthouses of its members are integrated into Nomad’s Land’s booking system, and requests are then sent directly to the coordinator for distribution within the network. Joint work also focuses on developing new experiences, including horseback excursions, cooking classes, activities connected to the landscapes and local culture, and options suited to periods outside the peak summer season.

The partnership also aims to improve knowledge and structure the offer across the entire area. Together with local partners, trails, valleys, passes, and less-visited sites around Saty are being identified in order to gradually develop new tourism products. This diversification can spread visitor numbers beyond Kolsai and Kaindy. The potential for winter activities in the snow is also being explored with local stakeholders to create economic opportunities during a period that is currently quieter.

Support for CBT Saty includes coordinating its members, ensuring the association’s operations, creating new products, and seeking mechanisms that allow it to generate its own income. By choosing services offered by Saty residents, travelers support a local network that directly organizes part of the village’s hospitality, activities, and tourism-related economic benefits.