Kazakhstan can offer tourists
unique tours that can compete at a worldwide level, including comprehensive travel
along the Great Silk Road and the Caspian Sea, trips to Baikonur and Burabai as
well as the Four Seasons tour in Almaty. This was announced by experts at the
International Tourism Development Forum in Aktau. On its part, the government
is now actively supporting representatives of the tourism industry. Last year,
the state provided assistance to ski resorts, while this year, there are plans
to focus on agritourism development. Overall, the Kazakh Government will
develop a domestic tourist brand to promote the country’s image.
“Last year, the investment amount in the
tourism industry was about 350 billion tenge. Now this figure is showing
growth of 75 billion tenge. This year, the government has set a big task to
reach 800 billion tenge of investment in the sector. So, we must achieve this
goal together with you,” said Yermek Marzhikpayev, Kazakh Minister of Tourism
and Sports.
In general, investments of $4 billion have been
attracted and more than 400 tourist facilities have been built over the last three
years. This year, 115 projects are planned to be implemented. As noted
by analysts, state support and demand for Kazakh tourism products promoted
interest. Thus, the number of domestic tourists exceeded three million people
in the first half of the year, while foreign tourists totaled 500,000. Almost
1.5 million foreign travelers are expected to visit Kazakhstan at the end of
2023.