Kazakhstan Tops UAE’s Ramadan Travel List

ASTANA — Kazakhstan has become the most preferred destination for United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents during the Holy Month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr (a three-day holiday marking the end of Ramadan), reported the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ press service on March 12.

Astana Grand Mosque. Photo credit: Evgeny Tkachenko

According to data from Skyscanner, a leading global travel search engine, the list of most popular destinations for April includes Kazakhstan, Seychelles, Cyprus, Japan, Vietnam, and Oman. Kazakhstan is significantly ahead of other popular destinations, with a 195% increase in interest.

More than half of travelers surveyed (51%) prefer to book trips for a week or less.

According to Senior Global Social Media Manager at Skyscanner Ayoub El Mamoun, UAE residents choose Kazakhstan as a comfortable country for cultural and relaxing travel during Eid al-Fitr. This also reflects the effective development of tourism in Kazakhstan.

The data provided in Kazakhstan’s eQonaq information system for registering international visitors confirms the growing interest of UAE tourists in Kazakhstan, doubling the number of visitors from 2,963 in 2022 to 6,051 people in 2023. Tourists from the UAE mostly prefer to visit the cities of Almaty, Astana and the Almaty Region.

“This rise in Kazakhstan’s popularity as a tourist destination for UAE residents speaks to the country’s significant potential in international tourism. Kazakhstan’s nature and cultural fund draw great interest among foreign tourists year after year. Picturesque mountains, stunning landscapes of lakes and rivers, spiritual attractions and a tandem of authentic and modern traditions of the steppe people are becoming the driving force behind the surge in popularity,” according to the ministry. 


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