Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabasynov noted that the potential for tourism development exists in all regions of the country, but there are certain issues that hinder this process. In this regard, he said that in order to further develop the industry, changes are being made to the legislation, the relevant bill is now being considered in the Majilis.

One of the main initiatives is to give akimats legislative powers to build tourism infrastructure outside settlements, including the territories of national parks. This issue has been carefully studied, and such a step will ensure the development of infrastructure of major tourist destinations.

The Minister also mentioned that a separate budget programme will be developed to finance the construction of infrastructure in tourist destinations. For prioritising tourism development in the regions, the creation of separate tourism directorates should be considered along with the new competence.

He added that farmers will be given the right to engage in agro-tourism on their plots. There are now more than 200,000 peasant farms in the country and this measure will create additional jobs for rural residents and improve the welfare of rural areas.

In order to carry out tourism and recreational activities in national parks, work was under way to increase the duration of long-term leases to 49 years, which would attract investment and help develop infrastructure for ecotourism.

In addition, to facilitate the movement of organised tourist groups at border checkpoints, a green corridor regime is being introduced, which is now working in pilot mode on the border between Russia and Kyrgyzstan.

The Minister also reported on the draft comprehensive plan for the development of the Almaty Mountain Cluster, developed on behalf of the Head of State. Its main goal is to develop mountain tourism. He cited data that according to international experience, the average expenditure of tourists holidaying in the mountains is $350, while in beach tourism this figure is $50. The potential for development of mountain tourism in East Kazakhstan region was also mentioned, where airports are being built in Katon-Karagai and Zaisan on the instructions of the Head of State.

Together with the Akimat of East Kazakhstan region has already started working on the development of mountain tourism on the territory of about 1 thousand hectares, with the creation of up to 70 kilometres of ski tracks. He also noted that the next project of the comprehensive plan is aimed at the development of the tourist zone ‘Mangistau’, within the framework of which it is planned to implement infrastructure projects and improvement. As a result, unique tourist places such as Tuzbayyr, Kyzylkup, Torysh and Ayrakty will become accessible, as well as conditions will be created for the opening of new facilities.

In addition, the Minister emphasised that work is underway to develop national parks in order to promote ecotourism. In recent years, 8 tourist visitor centres have been built with equipping the trails with basic infrastructure. As a result, there has been a steady increase in the number of ecotourists in the country's national parks. By the end of 2024, 2.8 million people will visit the 14 national parks, an increase of 18% compared to 2023.

To meet the growing demand, it is planned to provide each national park with basic tourism infrastructure and build new visitor centres. It is also necessary to digitise the access system in all national parks, following the example of Burabay. Similar work will be carried out in other regions to develop various types of tourism, including ethno-cultural, children and youth, medical, health, business, caravanning and motor tourism.

The Minister also reported on the development of a unified calendar of events on the basis of the National Tourism Portal Kazakhstan.travel for the development of event tourism. In 2024, the calendar included 137 events, of which 80 per cent were held in Astana and Almaty.

As a result of these and other measures taken at the level of the Government, the Minister noted that at the end of 2024, the tourism industry shows steady growth, the number of domestic tourists totalled 10.5 million people, an increase of 900 thousand compared to 2023.

Yerbol Myrzabasynov noted that a total of 15.3 million foreign visitors arrived in Kazakhstan, not counting those who came to work or for permanent residence. Of that number, 10.4m people spent more than one day in the country, and they are considered foreign tourists. All holidaymakers, business travellers, delegates and guests visiting friends or relatives are also counted as tourists, as they contribute to the economy by using the services of accommodation, catering, transport and others.

The Minister also mentioned the information system ‘eQonaq’, created to control migration and analyse the tourist flow. The implementation of this system has led to important changes: the obligation to register tourists has been assigned to meeting legal or natural persons. If a foreigner stays in a hotel, he/she is registered by the hotel; if in a flat, by the landlord; if he/she visits friends or relatives, the registration is the responsibility of the landlord. To simplify the task, the eQonaq system was developed, which is used by about 500,000 citizens. It allows to form a portrait of the tourist and is integrated with the information system of the migration police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In addition, the Minister reported on the introduction of the Neo Nomad Visa at the end of last year, which allows foreign citizens to reside in Kazakhstan for a year. The visa can be issued only through foreign institutions of the RK, but it is proposed to simplify the procedure by introducing the possibility of registration in electronic format through the visa migration portal.

The next important direction is shopping tourism. The Tax Free system, operating in pilot mode since 2019 in the cities of Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and Turkestan, stimulates the purchasing activity of tourists. Under this system, goods worth 4.9 billion tenge were sold to foreign tourists, and the average sales receipt was 837 thousand tenge, which corresponds to the indicators of the top 10 countries in the world.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabasynov emphasised that the arrival of foreign tourists to Kazakhstan begins with a search for information. In the digital age, tourists buy necessary services such as airline tickets, hotels and tours online. Upon arrival, they use various mapping and travel services to navigate.

The national tourism portal Kazakhstan.travel provides information for travellers in eight languages and includes up-to-date information on tourist destinations, attractions and events. In addition, the portal publishes registers of virtual 3D-tours and tour operators. In 2024, about 700,000 people visited the portal, which confirms its importance as the main navigator for travellers.

Currently, there is no single ecosystem uniting all the services tourists need to book services. In this regard, the creation of a unified mobile application TravelStan has been initiated, which will use artificial intelligence to help tourists book hotels, buy tickets, find guides and itineraries, call taxis and combine other services in one digital space.

To solve the problem quickly, a QR code system for tourists is being introduced to prevent being cheated by services such as taxis, communication and currency exchange. The QR code system developed includes e-SIM services, hotel bookings and basic check-in information. These QR codes have been placed in four cities of the country: Astana, Aktau, Turkestan and Shymkent. Airports are requesting additional funds to place QR codes, and the support of Akimats and the Ministry of Transport is needed to widely disseminate the experience. QR codes should be placed at all airports, railway stations and border crossings.

The next initiative is to regulate the activities of tour guides through digitalisation. The existing register limits the tourists' ability to find a suitable guide, contact him and check his qualifications. In this regard, the Ministry commissioned the creation of a unified digital platform for tour guides - the E-Guides system. At present, 380 guides are registered in the system, of which 94 have received badges.

The International University of Tourism and Hospitality has also introduced a trimester system of training, which allows students to obtain a bachelor's degree in three years and effectively shorten the period of study. The dual training model is applied in the educational process: 60 per cent on-the-job training and 40 per cent theoretical knowledge at the university. The university is actively digitalising its business processes, one manifestation of which was the opening of a multimedia studio. The educational process is fully digitised in the information system, which integrates all services, from student registration to assessment and progress control. As a result of the measures taken, out of 460 students who graduated last year, 92.8 per cent were employed in their speciality.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabasynov noted the importance of digitalisation of state support measures for tourism. He reminded that since 2022, seven measures of state support aimed at the development of the tourism industry have been implemented. At the end of 2024, the volume of state support increased 2.5 times compared to 2023 and amounted to 2.1 billion tenge.

#Government session #Infrastructural development #Legislations #Tourism

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