NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — The number of foreign tourists visiting Kazakhstan annually grows at an average level of 10%. Over the past 5-6 years, domestic tourism has also grown by 10-15%, Deputy Chairman of Kazakh Tourism National Company Kairat Sadvakasov said in an interview with PrimeMinister.kz.
“More and more of our citizens are choosing vacation spots in Kazakhstan. A lot of people prefer to spend their only vacation [a year] in Kazakhstan. There are people who can afford to travel abroad three times [a year], but they devote at least one trip to Kazakhstan,” Sadvakasov said.
The deputy chairman of Kazakh Tourism said that Kazakhstan has begun developing a national tourism product using the 4E concept.
“National tourism product refers to the most distinctive tourism products that are currently offered. We focus here on four main areas: ecotourism, ethno-tourism, entertainment, events. We combine these areas in the 4E concept (ecotourism, ethno-tourism, entertainment, events). Within the framework of this concept, we are trying to pack all existing products,” Sadvakasov said.
At the same time, the distinctive Kazakhstani products include a large territory of the country, a variety of landscapes, climatic features, and multinationality which implies a variety of cuisines, languages and so on.
“From this large variety, it is rather difficult to choose something narrowly focused. Therefore, we have chosen four directions. If we talk about ecotourism, these are our National Parks, adventure tourism. If we talk about ethnicity, this is living in yurts, falconry, gastronomic tourism,” Sadvakasov said.
He also said that the national tourism product is centered around the so-called sub-brands.
“Kazakhstan is the birthplace of apples, tulips, it is the Silk Road, it is the place where the horse was domesticated. In this vein, the national tourism product will develop. It remains to improve and promote this product,” Sadvakasov said.
