ALMATY (TCA) — Government officials and tourist companies discussed prospects of the tourism industry development in Kazakhstan at a meeting in Almaty on April 22, the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan reported.
The meeting participants said a new impulse in this direction will be given by the international specialized exhibition EXPO-2017 “Energy of the Future”. This significant world-class event will be held for the first time in Central Asia and the CIS in Astana between 10 June and 10 September 2017. For the capital city and the whole of Kazakhstan it will be the first and foremost opportunity to showcase the Kazakh state, its culture, history, traditions and modern achievements.
“Astana will turn into the biggest stage area of the world, and the EXPO will be the new direction of tourism and entertainment,” said Rosa Asanbaeva, adviser to the chairman of the board of JSC “Astana EXPO-2017”.
It is expected that more than 5 million people will attend the event, including 85% Kazakhstanis and 15% foreign visitors.
The director of the regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Almaty, Yuri Tleumuratov, spoke about the tourism potential of Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and development of a roadmap for tourism in Almaty.
According to the roadmap, it is planned to develop a tourist navigation system for the city, launch a shuttle service from the airport to the city center, and build an ethnic village at Boraldai mounds.
Among the objectives on the national scale, it is planned to expand the list of visa-free countries, lower the prices for domestic flights, and improve beach areas at Kazakhstan’s water reservoirs and organize public toilets. According to experts, all these measures will bring tangible results in two or three years.
