ASTANA – Kazakhstan has allocated over five billion tenge (US$10.5 million) this year to develop its tourism industry, Khabar TV Channel reported on July 1.
Charyn Canyon. Photo credit: The Astana Times
Last year, the country welcomed nearly nine million foreign tourists, doubling the number from 2022. The country’s attractions, including the blue Caspian Sea, sandy beaches, mountains, and other picturesque landscapes, are considered on par with popular tourist destinations abroad, experts say. However, despite its vast potential, many local and foreign citizens still prefer vacationing outside the country due to problems with infrastructure and the high costs at popular resorts.
In the past four years, the tourism sector’s contribution to the economy has dropped by 5%, nearly three times lower than the global average. Experts attribute the high prices at local resorts to a lack of competition.
To promote Kazakhstan’s tourism potential, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports is undertaking various advertising campaigns on major media platforms and social networks. They are organizing international tourism exhibitions and B2B meetings between market participants. In collaboration with airlines, international tourism associations, and local authorities, information and press tours will be conducted to showcase Kazakhstan’s tourism potential.
Kazakhstan receives annual recognition in various categories. This year, Almaty was featured in The New York Times’ list of “52 Places to Go.” Wanderlust ranked Kazakhstan among the top 24 tourist destinations for 2024, and Condé Nast Italia included it in the top five ski destinations globally. The World Tourism Organization named the village of Saty the best tourist village of 2023.
Kazakhstan has also become a popular destination for travelers from India and the United Arab Emirates, as highlighted by TravelScapes at the Versatile Excellence Travel Awards. The promotional video “Kazakhstan – Like Never Before” won accolades for Advertising Campaign and Destination – Countries at the ART&TUR film festival in Portugal.
