According to Kubatov, a new draft law is being prepared under which tour operators and guides will be required to work under licenses. A permit system for climbing seven-thousand-meter peaks is also expected to be introduced.

«This will be a soft form of regulation. Current practice shows that tour operators from other countries come here and occupy the market niche of domestic operators. In this regard, a working group is now preparing a draft law, which we will submit to deputies for consideration in the autumn,» Eduard Kubatov said.

MP Burul Amanova asked whether licensing could negatively affect tour operators at a time when the country’s tourism sector is still developing.

Kubatov dismissed those concerns, saying that regulation of the sector is necessary.