Government gives green light to the tourism zone development plan for "Mangistau"
Kazakhstan's Mangystau Tourism Development Plan Unveiled
The Kazakh government has approved a comprehensive plan for the development of the Mangystau tourist zone from 2025 to 2029. This plan aims to accelerate tourism development in the Mangystau region, focusing on infrastructure development, investment attraction, and boosting tourism growth.
Infrastructure Development and Investment
The plan prioritizes upgrading transport infrastructure, including roads and potentially enhancing air connectivity, to improve access to Mangystau's unique natural and cultural sites. To support this, the government seeks to attract both domestic and foreign investment targeted at tourism infrastructure and services.
In the city of Aktau, a marine terminal and an international-class stadium are planned. The government expects significant growth in tourist arrivals and related economic benefits from tourism over the 2025-2029 period as a result of these comprehensive development measures.
Kenderli Tourist Zone
One of the key tourism development directions in the Mangystau region is the Kenderli tourist zone. A complex of measures will be implemented to address infrastructure issues in Kenderli, including engineering communications, power and water supply, and transportation accessibility. Road reconstruction and other facilities will be developed in the village of Kenderli as part of the Kenderli tourist zone development.
Employment and Economic Growth
The number of people employed in tourism is expected to rise from 1,700 to 2,700 by 2029. The share of tourism in the regional economy is expected to grow from 2.2% to 3.6% by 2029. By 2029, it is expected that the number of domestic tourists will increase from 430,000 to 520,000, and the number of inbound tourists will grow from 89,000 to 143,000.
Additional Measures
To promote tourism in the region, cultural and sports events will be held, and a preferential lending program will be launched for small and medium-sized businesses in the tourism sector through JSC "Kaspi" National Management Holding. Over 100 events are planned during the implementation period of the Comprehensive Plan.
The plan addresses industry issues across nine areas, including infrastructure development, logistics, digitalization, security, human resources, and investment project promotion. Private investments in the tourist zone are expected to reach 198.9 billion tenge by 2029.
The Comprehensive Plan aims to create comfortable conditions for attracting tourists, reflecting a broader goal of diversifying the regional economy by leveraging Mangystau’s potential as a tourism hub that combines natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and emerging infrastructure.
More granular data, such as project-specific timelines, investment volumes, and precise growth projections, may be obtained from government releases or specialized tourism development reports as implementation progresses.
- The government's comprehensive plan for the Mangystau tourist zone also encompasses the development of tourism-related businesses, aiming to attract finance and investments to boost the economic growth of the region, including the city of Aktau's marine terminal and international-class stadium projects.
- As part of the Comprehensive Plan, the Kenderli tourist zone will see infrastructure improvements in areas like engineering communications, power and water supply, and transportation accessibility, creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses in the travel sector through a preferential lending program, and fostering a lifestyle that integrates natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and modern amenities.
