Desert tourism is becoming a popular tourist idea around the world, and it has the potential to significantly contribute to job market and country’s socioeconomic growth. This sort of tourism provides excellent potential for countries with desert regions.
Turkmenistan has a high tourist potential. The country boasts numerous tourist spots that can entice visitors with their history, culture, and natural beauty. The Karakum Desert, which covers the majority of the country, is one of these locations.
The Karakum Desert offers guests thrilling excursions such as desert safaris among the sand dunes and stargazing beneath the open sky. Karakum is also an excellent location for desert exploration, hiking, horseback riding, desert bicycle trips, automobile safaris, and other outdoor activities.
The Darvaza natural gas crater in the Karakum Desert is a popular tourist destination. The crater, caused by a natural gas field fire, has been burning for decades. Campgrounds constructed around the crater allow travelers to spend the night in the desert.
Turkmenistan continues to invest in tourism and is taking the necessary steps to expand the country's tourism potential. Turkmen tourism industry is expanding as investment and visitor numbers increase. Desert tourism can help Turkmenistan's tourism industry grow significantly.
Other examples from around the world show the economic impact of desert tourism. For example, the tourism industry helped Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), attain significant rates of economic growth. Dubai is one of the world's major desert tourism destinations, and tourism is an important aspect of the UAE's economic development.
Similarly, desert tourism is one of the most important segments of Egypt's tourism business. The White Desert provides travelers with an excellent opportunity to explore the desert and contributes significantly to the country's tourism sector.
Given all of these opportunities, Turkmenistan has a lot of promise for desert tourism. The government may contribute to economic development and jobs by investing in the area and establishing sustainable tourist practices. Furthermore, desert tourism has a substantial economic and environmental impact.
Nurmyrat Mommayev,
PhD Candidate at Marmara University's Department of Political Science and International Relations in Istanbul, Türkiye
