Tourism Updates: Current News in the Tourism Sector
In a recent meeting, the focus was on the development of Astana as a competitive tourist destination for the year 2025 and beyond. The discussions revolved around enhancing logistics infrastructure, facilitating investment, and promoting tourism ties, particularly through strategic and bilateral cooperation.
Key points highlighted at the meeting included:
- Visa Policy Improvements: Kazakhstan is implementing visa-free entry for citizens of 56 countries, making international travel to Astana easier for tourists.
- Strategic Partnerships: Astana is witnessing increased investment and cooperation with Türkiye, with plans to build and modernize transport and logistics hubs in several cities, aiming to create a multimodal logistics network that supports tourism and trade.
- Infrastructure Investment: Turkish companies are investing in industrial facilities in Astana, which indirectly contribute to economic growth and support tourism infrastructure development.
- Tourism and Educational Exchange: Bilateral ties between Kazakhstan and Türkiye are improving, with growing tourist flows and consideration to extend visa-free stays for Turkish citizens to 90 days.
- Sustainable Tourism and Marketing: Although more prominent in Almaty, there is a broader national push for innovative tourism marketing and sustainable tourism initiatives, which likely influence policy in Astana as well.
- Leveraging the Middle Corridor Transport Network: Astana’s role in strategic transport and transit routes like the Middle Corridor is highlighted as key to boosting connectivity and attracting travelers through improved logistics.
While the specific detailed strategy for Astana's tourism development was not itemized explicitly, the combination of visa facilitation, strengthening international partnerships, infrastructure and logistics development, and marketing efforts clearly outlines the government’s approach to position Astana as a competitive tourist destination.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Mayor Yevgeny Glotov, also emphasized the importance of creating an inclusive environment, promoting MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism, and developing Gastrocusters (culinary tourism) and medical tourism.
In the first quarter of 2025, tourist traffic increased by 7%, with 314,000 tourists and 68,000 foreign tourists. Air transport passenger traffic increased by 9% in 2025, with 2 million people. Rail transport passenger traffic saw a significant increase of 23%, with 1.2 million people. Astana welcomed 1.5 million tourists, including 350,000 foreign visitors.
The Tourism Council meeting in Astana will serve as a permanent dialogue platform between state structures and industry representatives, including representatives from the hotel and restaurant business, transportation industry, tour operators, and medical organizations. Through joint efforts, it is hoped that Astana will become a flourishing tourist center.
In 2024, tourism contributed 5.9% (919 billion tenge) to Astana's economy. The focus is on attracting guests from all over the world to Astana, with the aim of making it a competitive tourist destination on a global scale.
- To bolster Astana's global competitiveness as a tourist destination, the government is working on visa policy improvements, establishing strategic partnerships, investing in infrastructure, marketing efforts, and sustainable tourism initiatives.
- In the realm of business and lifestyle, Turkish companies are investing in industrial facilities in Astana, contributing to economic growth and supporting the development of tourism infrastructure.
