Tourism Without Borders: The 3rd Eurasian Mountain Resort Alliance Festival Held in Almaty
In February 2026, the Eurasian Mountain Resort Alliance (EMRA) brought together tourism and ski resort experts for the EMRA Festival in Kazakhstan. The participants discussed mountain tourism industry trends, future prospects, shared climate challenges, and safety issues. A major highlight of the event was the competition between instructor teams from EMRA-member resorts. Guests highly praised the training and expertise of the professionals who assist tourists on the slopes every day.
On the opening day of the festival, the partner resorts adopted the EMRA Green Charter. This strategic document establishes shared principles for the sustainable development of the mountain tourism industry across Eurasia. The Charter’s core value lies in committing the resorts to a collective responsibility for preserving mountain ecosystems, reducing their climate footprint, and implementing eco-friendly management practices.
In addition, Grandvalira Resorts Andorra, the largest mountain resort network in Andorra, signed a memorandum of intent to join the alliance. "This is a significant step toward strengthening EMRA’s international integration and expanding cooperation with European resort networks. We look forward to exchanging best practices in operational management, cluster development, safety, and service digitalization," noted Andrey Kukushkin, Secretary General of EMRA.
"The partnership with Grandvalira within the EMRA framework is a crucial confirmation that our region is becoming an integral part of the global mountain tourism system!" stated Rinat Abdrakhmanov, CEO of Shymbulak.
The Eurasian Mountain Resort Alliance was founded in 2023 on the initiative of Eurasia's leading mountain resorts. Its mission is to consolidate efforts in tourism service management, develop sports potential, and promote best practices in sustainable mountain tourism. Headquartered in Almaty, EMRA includes Shymbulak and Oi-Qaragai (Kazakhstan), Shahdag (Azerbaijan), Amirsoy (Uzbekistan), Rosa Khutor (Russia), and Mona YongPyong (South Korea).
In addition, Grandvalira Resorts Andorra, the largest mountain resort network in Andorra, signed a memorandum of intent to join the alliance. "This is a significant step toward strengthening EMRA’s international integration and expanding cooperation with European resort networks. We look forward to exchanging best practices in operational management, cluster development, safety, and service digitalization," noted Andrey Kukushkin, Secretary General of EMRA.
"The partnership with Grandvalira within the EMRA framework is a crucial confirmation that our region is becoming an integral part of the global mountain tourism system!" stated Rinat Abdrakhmanov, CEO of Shymbulak.
The Eurasian Mountain Resort Alliance was founded in 2023 on the initiative of Eurasia's leading mountain resorts. Its mission is to consolidate efforts in tourism service management, develop sports potential, and promote best practices in sustainable mountain tourism. Headquartered in Almaty, EMRA includes Shymbulak and Oi-Qaragai (Kazakhstan), Shahdag (Azerbaijan), Amirsoy (Uzbekistan), Rosa Khutor (Russia), and Mona YongPyong (South Korea).
February 27, 2026
