According to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, Kazakhstan's tourism industry is showing impressive growth. During the first nine months of 2023, the number of domestic tourists increased by 11% and reached approximately 5.4 million. Even more noticeable growth is observed in the segment of foreign tourists, which grew by more than a third and reached 835 thousand people, El.kz reports.
Among the numerous cities and regions of the country that attract foreign travelers, five of the most popular destinations stand out. The leader among them was the city of Almaty, which was visited by 409,394 foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2023. This city, located on the slopes of the Alatau Mountains, attracts with its ski resorts, picturesque nature and favorable climate. The Italian edition of Condé Nast Traveller Italia and the American New York Times highly appreciated the tourism potential of Almaty, including it in the list of the world's best travel destinations.
The second place is occupied by the capital of the country, the city of Astana, which attracts foreign guests with business tourism. During the reporting period, 220,000 foreign guests visited Astana. In third place is the Mangistau region, in particular the city of Aktau, located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, where 34,435 foreign travelers arrived.
Atyrau region and the city of Shymkent round out the top five, with 24,431 and 20,837 foreign tourists, respectively, arriving in the first nine months of 2023.
The growth of Kazakhstan's tourism sector is supported by the country's government's active efforts to improve tourism potential and hospitality. Acting Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurtas Karipbayev noted that Kazakhstan is becoming one of the world's popular tourist destinations, thanks to the introduction of a visa-free regime for citizens of 81 countries and the expansion of international air traffic.