SUSTOUKA Project is being developed by an international consortium composed by Ekotek (Coordinator, Spain), Kazakhstan Tourist Association (KTA), Kazakhstan Association of Hotels and Restaurants (KAGIR) and ECEAT (the Netherlands).

The project is being implemented with the financial support of the European Union within the SWITCH-Asia programme, the largest Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) program supported by the European Union in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Mongolia and China.

The action has a duration of 36 months, in which activities are going to be developed considering the following strategies:

• Improve sustainability and resource efficiency in MSMEs of the Tourist Accommodation Sector of Kazakhstan.
  

  Firstly, a diagnosis study of the current state of the Tourist Accommodation Sector of Kazakhstan will be performed to identify the processes that are hindering towards sustainability. Secondly, 50 representative MSMEs will be selected and recruited to proceed with the training and implementation of SCP Practices.

• Implement Travelife sustainability certification system in MSMEs of the Tourism Sector of Kazakhstan in order to promote commercialisation and consumption of sustainable tourist products and services.
  Moreover, this activity will be complemented with sustainability promotion and market demand of green tourist products and services among visitors and intermediate agents through the elaboration of awareness raising campaigns.

• Engage financial institutions to facilitate access to Green financing for MSMEs through promotion activities and roundtables with the objective of promoting agreements between stakeholders and financial institutions.

• Involve and commit governmental institutions to support SCP Practices at policy level. Roundtables, capacity building sessions and technical assistance activities are programmed to promote SCP Practices and public-private partnerships.

• Create a panel of experts in SCP Practices, Travelife sustainability schemes and marketing strategies in order to develop replication activities in the majority of MSMEs in the Tourism Sector in Kazakhstan.
  This panel will allow that, once the action is finished, stakeholders interested in incorporating sustainable practices in their activities can count on a well-structured group of experts for receiving support and assistance.

• Develop a network platform and workshops for the promotion, dissemination and replication of the most successful SCP Practices and Travelife system among stakeholders.