Kazakhstan has been included in Lonely Planet’s prestigious “Best in Travel 2025” ranking, earning it recognition as one of the year’s best travel destinations.
Lonely Planet, a leading international publisher, was established in 1973 and since then, has published comprehensive travel guides in 14 languages, covering 195 countries. Aimed to inspire people to explore the world, the organisation also publishes articles, lists, and rankings of the best places to visit, based on recommendations from experts and travelers and according to their unique cultures and natural diversity.
Kazakhstan’s high ranking in ‘Best in Travel 2025’, is largely attributed to its ancient traditions and modern achievements, and especially, its rich history and varied landscapes. Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Erkinbayev warmly welcomed the country’s inclusion in the list as validation of the growing international interest in Kazakhstan and stated that it emphasised the importance of promoting sustainable tourism.
Lonely Planet’s executive editor, Nitya Chambers, said the publication is proud of its choice and confident that this list will inspire travelers to make new discoveries. In its description of Kazakhstan, Lonely Planet focuses on the intertwining of ancient traditions and modern culture, hailing the country a place where every visitor can discover something unique. The publication also mentions echoes of the ancient Silk Road, tangible in the vast steppes.
Tourism in Kazakhstan has been actively developing in recent years, and the country is becoming increasingly popular among international travelers. Popular destinations include Almaty, Astana, and national parks. In the first six months of 2024 alone, 566,500 foreign tourists visited Kazakhstan, an increase of almost 10% compared to the same period in 2023. The demographics of foreign tourists is also on the rise.
In the first quarter of this year, the average revenue of Kazakh companies working in the tourism sector – tour operators, travel agencies, and other organizations – increased five-fold. For January-March, it exceeded 160.3 billion tenge; the highest quarterly income indicator of tourism companies since the beginning of 2022.
Kazakhstan’s tourist potential has also been praised by other well-known travel publications. Earlier, “Conde Nast Traveler” and “Wanderlust” included Kazakhstan as one of the top world destinations for travel in 2024, and Almaty was included in a list of the 52 best tourist destinations issued by The New York Times.
