How to make Kazakhstan more attractive for foreign tourists

Today, on September 27, the World Tourism Day is celebrated. This year it is a double holiday for representatives of the tourism industry of Kazakhstan, because not so long ago it was announced plans to resume visa-free travel for citizens of 30 foreign countries, as well as to increase air traffic with 16 countries. In this article, we decided to make a small selection of what Kazakhstan is able to surprise foreigners with. According to tour operators, most often people come to Kazakhstan on business trips. Before the pandemic, they were 80-85 percent. @Shutterstock Also, foreigners in Kazakhstan are attracted by nature, historical places, such as the Silk Road. "Many tourists are interested in the Great Silk Road. Many caravan routes passed through the territory of Kazakhstan, civilizations arose and disappeared, leaving behind magnificent historical and architectural monuments. For those who are interested in the history of Kazakhstan, ancient legends and traditions, we would advise you to visit the mausoleum of Alash Khan, Jochi Khan, Khoja Akhmet-Yassawi, Arystan Baba and Aisha bi bi," says the press secretary of JSC NC "Kazakh Tourism" Yernur Kenzhebekov. Tour operators, in turn, note that in summer guests tend to get to Borovoye, Alakol and the Caspian Sea, and in winter our country can offer ski resorts. Eco-and agro-tourism are gaining popularity. @Shutterstock

"The nature of Kazakhstan is amazing. There are places that take your breath away. Here tourists can find historical sites and ruins of ancient civilizations, relax at a resort or arrange a rally through deserts and sand dunes. Most often, travelers tend to visit the Kaindy Lake, Borovoye, the Bozzhyr tract, the Altai Mountains, the Kolsai Lakes, the Singing Dune, the Charyn Canyon, the Inder Salt Lake, " Yernur Kenzhebekov noted. According to the general director of the tour operator "Empire Kazakhstan Travel" Meiramgul Balgozhina, many tourists are interested in visiting three Central Asian countries at once - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. "The neighbors had the opportunity to receive guests all the time of the pandemic. There have long been ideas about introducing a Silk Road visa, which would play a big role in integration processes. Perhaps this will open a new page in relations between our countries. In Kazakhstan, in my opinion, it is necessary to focus on high-quality ethnotourism, to do it beautifully, on a large scale. In Mongolia, for example, there are huge ethnic villas. Foreigners, especially guests from the CIS countries, are attracted to Nur-Sultan with its skyscrapers. And Europeans are attracted by ethnicity, the life of nomads. Therefore, we need to develop a national brand, and for this we need good support tools for the development of a whole cluster for the development of ethnotourism: the production of yurts, horse breeding, the creation of infrastructure in general. Secondly, it is necessary to regulate, create a single database of guides, so that there is a single presentation of information about the country. Also, their work should be monitored. After all, the guide is the face, the image of the country. What they tell tourists, how they explain the traditions, what they tell foreign guests-there should be a single program, a standard. I am glad that many educated, young and active managers come to the tourist community. They raise tourism and service in Kazakhstan to a higher level, " she said. Whatever the purpose of a tourist's visit, the first thing he gets acquainted with is the national cuisine. Traditional Kazakh cuisine has its own characteristics, which should be remembered. These dishes are simple and hearty. Most often they are prepared from ingredients of animal origin.

@Shutterstock  You can get acquainted with the food of the nomadic people in various catering establishments - there are quite budget places, and there are restaurants where guests are introduced to haute cuisine. As a rule, guests are treated to beshbarmak with an abundance of various kinds of meat, lush baursaks and a traditional drink made from mare's milk - kumys. This is a mandatory program. Additionally, you can take a gastro-excursion through national sweets and desserts, or "walk" through the meat program and taste kuyrdak, sur et, kazy and shuzhyk. Getting to know the yurt To get acquainted with the traditional dwelling of nomads, you can visit the ethnographic museum. At least one such exhibition can be found in any city of Kazakhstan. The guide will tell you about the structure of the yurt inside and outside. For a superficial idea, this will be enough, but it is better to live in a yurt, of course. In Almaty, Akmola and East Kazakhstan regions, there are several such accommodation places where guests can stay in a traditional yurt. Among them are mountain resorts-hotels, park hotels, ethnographic villages and recreation areas. Note that such places offer not only accommodation, but also additional services. Guests have the opportunity to see people in national Kazakh costumes, taste various dishes, get acquainted with the customs, traditions and life of the Kazakh people, and in some places even participate in falconry. @Shutterstock You can take a horse ride here. In addition, if you have a special desire, you can saddle a horse and go to the mountains or on another route, but for this you need to agree with the guide in advance. Not so long ago, Kazakhstan announced plans to resume a visa-free regime for entering the country with 30 foreign countries with a favorable epidemiological situation and a high level of vaccination of the population. The list of these countries includes Italy, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Poland, Denmark, Chile, Hungary, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Bahrain, Qatar, Monaco, Cyprus, Iceland, Finland, Malta, Sweden, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Canada, Singapore and Belgium. In addition, air traffic will be resumed and/or increased with 16 countries - the Russian Federation, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Germany, Maldives, South Korea, Poland, Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic, Sri Lanka, China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Azerbaijan. Информация взята с сайта Tengritravel.kz