ASTANA – Saty village in the Almaty Region was named one of the Best Tourism Villages 2023 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on Oct.18 in Samarkand, reported Kazakh Tourism press service.
UNWTO regognized Saty village as one of the Best Tourism Villages in 2023. Photo credit: Kazakh Tourism press service. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
Saty is located in the Kolsai kolderi (Kolsai lakes) national park which attracts tourists worldwide to the bluest and clearest waters of lakes Kolsai and Kaindy.
The village is the leader in terms of the number of accommodations with 90 guesthouses and 30 hotels operating in Saty as of 2023. Those numbers have doubled compared to 2019. Most of the locals are engaged in the tourism business.
Kairat Sadvakassov, the deputy chairman of the Kazakh Tourism National Company, received the award in Samarkand. Photo credit: Kazakh Tourism press seevice.
Over the past five years, the area has seen the construction of convenient trails and walking paths, a road to lower Kolsai Lake as well as numerous benches, gazebos and piers. An observation deck offers panoramic views of the water bodies.
To share Saty’s successful experience in other regions of Kazakhstan, Kazakh Tourism organizes information tours for Kazakh tour operators and guesthouse owners, along with educational training and seminars on crafts and sustainable tourism development.
Launched in 2021, Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO is a global initiative that recognizes villages leading the way in nurturing rural areas and preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values, and culinary traditions. This year, in its third edition, 54 villages from all regions were selected from almost 260 applications.
The winning of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO award offers extensive benefits such as global recognition and tourist attraction, sustainable development, investor support as well as a chance to enhance cultural heritage and an opportunity to create jobs and promote local businesses.
In 2020, the Australian-based Lonely Planet travel guidebook listed Saty as the best community-based tourism destination.
