National parks are new points of growth for Kazakh tourism industry. They are planned to be developed in Kazakhstan comprehensively. The first in line are Charyn and Altyn Emel parks. Visit centers, ethnic villages, eco hotels, camping and glamping sites as well as viewpoints may appear there in the next two years. Nearly 10 billion tenge of investments were attracted for these purposes, said spokesperson responsible for the projects of the “Qazaq geography” association Aida Tabelinova. The infrastructure of the national parks will be developed with the focus on the historical heritage of the area.
“National parks are not just beautiful nature. For example, first of all, Altyn Emel is a place where Shokan Ualikhanov spent his last years. Also, Altyn Emel is a whole field of historical and cultural objects, since it has Besshatyr burial mounds. Therefore, it is a whole laboratory of scientific and research projects not only in the field of biodiversity, but also historical and cultural works for environmental education,” Tabelinova said.
The projects are still under development. According to representatives of the “Qazaq geography”, first, it is necessary to conduct comprehensive work taking into account the expert opinions of several specialists, including geologists, geomorphologists, hydrologists, biologists, zoologists, botanists and seismologists.
“The construction will begin only after undergoing all the procedures and obtaining a building permit. Starting from a preliminary assessment of the impact on the environment, calculating recreational loads, holding public hearings, ending with developing educational, environmental, cartographic projects that will preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the national park,” the expert added.
About 20,000 people visit Altyn Emel and Charyn parks annually. The implementation of the projects is expected to significantly increase the flow of tourists to these areas from abroad.
Translation by Saniya Sakenova
Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova
