ASTANA – British magazine Wanderlust has included Kazakhstan in its Travel Green List 2024, the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ press service reported on June 5.
Photo credit: gov.kz
In particular, the list involved the Katon-Karagai district in eastern Kazakhstan at the suggestion of the Kazakh Tourism national company.
“Five years ago, residents of the Katon-Karagai district – a sweep of lonely steppe, mountains and forests in far eastern Kazakhstan – faced a dilemma. Though home to the country’s largest national park and around 275 bird species, its 48 villages attracted few visitors, and there was little work available. As a result, its population had almost halved since the turn of the century, many residents having moved to cities in search of employment,” wrote the article’s author.
The magazine praised the Sustainable Rural Development Fund, launched in 2019, for improving the quality of life in three remote areas, including Katon-Karagai. The author highlighted initiatives such as training guesthouse owners, opening a hospitality school, maintaining trails, installing road signs, and funding tourist information centers.
These projects have contributed to creating a sustainable tourism community in the region and enhancing the tourist experience.
Alongside rural developments in Kazakhstan, within Asia, the list included projects such as educational cultural centers in Japan and a railway-turned-wildlife sanctuary in Singapore.
During the ITB Berlin international tourism exhibition in 2024, the Katon-Karagai for Sustainable Development public foundation was included in the Green Destinations Top 100 Story list and won in the Thriving Communities category.
