Kazakhstan plans to increase the influx of foreign tourists by 2.5 times by 2025. The development of digital tourism products and the introduction of new digital solutions will help achieve this target, experts believe. Regarding tour guiding, Kazakhstan is set to assign a QR code to each professional, which will identify illegal guides, and enable tourists to provide direct feedback on the services provided by domestic specialists. It bears noting that such advanced digital technologies are already being applied to welcome and serve tourists in the Turkistan region, where a number of virtual reality projects have been launched. Among them are a 3D book, which can be animated with a mobile device camera or a special app, and a multilingual guide in Kazakh, English, Russian and Turkish, which provides information on the region’s most popular sights.
“After 3D books, we are now launching a VR headset project to allow our guests, including those abroad, to immerse themselves in Turkistan and its culture. We want to create digital platforms where tourists can access visual and informational content, regardless of their location. They can also use the services of an online guide to gather all the necessary information and later visit Turkistan in person to experience everything firsthand,” Yerassyl Tolebayev, Head of Tourism Promotion Department at Open Turkistan, said.
As noted by experts, Kazakhstan’s tourism industry has not only returned to pre-pandemic levels, but has also reached new records. Last year, the number of domestic tourists alone exceeded 8.5 million people. Additionally, domestic hotels, hostels and recreation centers earned more than 183 billion tenge, which is a 70 percent increase compared to the previous year.
“Tourism in Kazakhstan is on the rise, with a steady increase in visitor numbers. Previously, there were relatively fewer guests, but now many establishments report being fully booked. This demonstrates a positive trend in tourism development. Kazakhstan offers a wide range of tourist attractions that are worth exploring. All it takes is careful research, and our aim is to provide assistance along the way,” Tatyana Khodorovskaya, Manager at Kazakhstan Tourist Association, said.
