Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting with the President of PGI Management Joan Viladomat on cooperation in the development of ski tourism. Attention was paid to Almaty cluster.

They discussed global trends in the tourism industry and its contribution to the growth of the economy of countries. It was noted that the skiing direction is a serious tool for socio-economic development of mountainous areas and the country as a whole. 

Joan Viladomat shared the results of implementation of projects on transformation of economic structures of a number of countries taking into account the orientation on tourism. Today the company has more than 120 implemented projects, including such winter tourism brands as Davos and St. Moritz (Switzerland), Courchevel (France), Ischgl and Tyrol (Austria), Vail and Aspen (USA), Whistler-Blackcomb (Canada), as well as resorts in Andorra, where the number of visitors last year amounted to 9.6 million people with a population of 80 thousand. For more than 60 years the company has become a world leader in the development of ski resorts. 

The parties considered the prospects of joint development of Almaty mountain cluster. Today the tourist flow is 2 million people a year, 2 thousand seasonal jobs have been created. The existing infrastructure of 41 kilometres of pistes and 16 lifts allows to provide a capacity of 6 thousand people per day. At the same time, the growing demand from domestic and foreign tourists requires further improvement of the state strategy for the development of ski tourism as an all-season tourist destination. According to the analysis, the development of the cluster's infrastructure by bringing the length of pistes to 227 km and lifts to 58 will allow to increase the current throughput capacity by 5.6 times, up to 34 thousand people per day, and create 10 thousand direct jobs. Thus, AGK will be able to receive up to 7.5 million tourists per year by 2029. In addition, a sustainable effect on the development of the related and service economy is expected.

Inclusion has also been identified as an important area. The modernisation of infrastructure will allow for the wider development of educational programmes for children to learn winter sports, as well as family leisure. 

Head of the Government emphasised that in the current global economic situation the priority of work is diversification. Tourism, along with such sectors as manufacturing and digitalisation, transport and logistics, should become a new point of economic growth. 

Following the meeting, the participants expressed their intention to work together to modernise infrastructure adapted to international standards.

#Olzhas Bektenov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Investments #President's instruction #Tourism

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