Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Marzhikpayev held a meeting with the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mrs. Rosalba Lo Bue Antico, El.kz reports.
At the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation in the fields of tourism and sports.
The head of the department congratulated Venezuelans on the past Independence Day and wished further prosperity to the country.
"Our countries have a huge tourism potential. However, we are observing a fairly low level of tourist flow. According to statistics, in 2023, 243 Venezuelans visited Kazakhstan, and Kazakhstanis did not visit Venezuela," Yermek Marzhikpayev said.
The minister noted that this situation is due to the lack of direct flights and the presence of visa requirements.
"In order to increase the tourist flow and further develop co-operation, it is necessary to carefully work out these issues," Marzhikpayev said. The minister also recalled the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris and wished high results to foreign athletes.
In turn, Mrs. Ambassador voiced a number of initiatives and projects in the sports and tourism spheres, which will contribute to strengthening cooperation.
At the same time, she proposed to sign bilateral documents between sectoral departments, which will reflect specific areas of cooperation.
During the meeting, the head of the department also asked the Ambassador to assist in the performance of Venezuelan athletes in the 5th World Nomad Games, which will be held from September 8 to 13 in the capital.
At the end of the meeting, Marzhikpayev invited representatives of Venezuelan travel companies to take part in the Kazakhstan International Tourism and Travel Exhibition in 2025.