ASTANA – Tourism is becoming one of the priority sectors in Kazakhstan’s economy. The industry showed growth last year but there is a lot of work ahead, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev said in an interview with Kazinform. Earlier, Yerkinbayev spoke about the opportunities for remote workers with the launch of Neo Nomad Visa in Kazakhstan. Increase in indicators In the first nine months of 2024, the number of domestic tourists reached nearly 10.5 million people, almost a million more than a year earlier. Kazakhstan welcomed 15.3 million foreign visitors, including 10.4 million, who stayed more than 24 hours. Total tourist spending amounted to $2.7 billion, while investments in the sector rose 20% from 2023 to 948 billion tenge (US$1.9 billion). A hundred new hotels opened, and hotel revenues grew by 27%. More than 500,000 people work in the tourism sector, and this figure increases by 5-8% annually. Tourism also contributes approximately 500 billion tenge (over US$1 billion) in taxes to the budget, growing 25% each year. Tourist accounting issues and attraction strategy One of the problems remains accounting for foreign tourists. Statistics show that only one million out of ten million visitors stayed in hotels, indicating a possible shadow rental market. To improve analysis of tourist preferences and maximize economic benefits, Kazakhstan plans to implement new statistical and regulatory measures. Global practice shows that tourism can benefit, but also strain the existing infrastructure. “Large tourist cities face negative impacts from so-called overtourism, such as pressure on the environment, infrastructure, resource consumption, and transport systems,” Yerkinbayev noted. For example, Barcelona and Milan have introduced regulations to control tourist flow and attract higher-spending visitors. Kazakhstan also aims to draw such travelers and develop premium tourism products. Promising areas: ski and ecotourism One of the priorities is ski tourism development. The Almaty Region offers unique conditions with a long winter season, high-quality snow, and a convenient airport location 30 minutes from the ski slopes. A comprehensive plan is underway to connect the Shymbulak and Oi-Qaragai resorts, creating 140 kilometers of trails and thousands of jobs. The project is expected to be implemented by 2029. Ecotourism is another key focus, Yerkinbayev said, noting that infrastructure will be created in large cities, villages, and national parks. In Europe, accommodation in farm guest houses is often more expensive than in hotels. In Kazakhstan, there are around 200,000 owners of agricultural lands who could participate in creating ethno-villages and glampings. In this regard, the government is preparing legislative amendments to allow tourism on agricultural lands without changing their designated purpose. “If a farmer involves his neighbor in the business – one offering beekeeping tours and another horseback riding – it creates five-six new jobs around a single villager. My dream is for ordinary citizens to receive benefits and income from tourism,” Yerkinbayev said. Infrastructure and transport accessibility Tourism growth depends on infrastructure, including roads, power grids, and water supply. City and regional administrations received the right to build utility networks in national parks without removing land from specially protected areas. The Imantau-Shalkar resort area has already seen such improvements. Transport accessibility remains a pressing issue. Yerkinayev said the situation is improving. In 2023, Kazakhstan acquired 113 new railway carriages, 143 more in 2024, and 226 are expected in 2025. Twenty-two new routes were added in 2024, with flights to Shanghai, Xi’an, Rome, Budapest, Delhi, Munich, and Seoul, launching this year. Marketing and promotion Kazakhstan’s tourism promotion budget is nearly $1 million annually, far below competitors such as Azerbaijan, which spends $32 million, not including major sporting event costs. Kazakhstan focuses on infrastructure development, unique tourism products, and targeted marketing. “Of course, we want films about the Kazakh snow leopard on international TV screens and our landscapes and modern cities showcased in the world’s largest airports. But nevertheless, we attend sites and tourism exhibitions we need, and bring our tour operators to target markets and sign contracts, clearly knowing that the money spent on these events will be returned immediately in at least tenfold benefits for the country,” Yerkinbayev said.