At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, issues of developing the country’s tourism potential were considered. Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabosynov reported that the contribution of tourism to the economy reached 5 trillion tenge, and more than 600 thousand people are currently employed in the industry.

According to him, foreign tourists’ spending in the republic amounted to $2.9 billion. At the same time, the volume of investments attracted to the tourism industry increased by 33% compared to last year and reached 1.3 trillion tenge. Tax revenues grew by 18% and amounted to 630 billion tenge.

“In order to further develop the industry, legislative amendments were adopted in March this year. In particular, the ‘green corridor’ mechanism is being introduced for tourist buses. This will significantly reduce the time for organized tourist groups to cross the state border. The concept of a visitor center has been enshrined and the main requirements for their creation and operation have been defined. In order to improve the quality of tourist services, Rules for the activities of guides, excursion leaders, and tourism instructors will be approved,” Yerbol Myrzabosynov emphasized.

Special attention in the updated legislation is paid to children’s and ecological recreation. Free entry to national parks has been introduced for children under 18 years of age. This measure is designed to increase the accessibility of domestic tourism and will also allow for more effective organization of leisure for the younger generation during the holidays.

Along with traditional types of recreation, medical tourism is one of the promising areas contributing to the overall growth of the industry’s indicators. This is due to the combination of high quality of services provided and their affordable cost. According to the minister, ten domestic medical organizations currently have international JCI accreditation. About 80 thousand foreign patients have already been received by Kazakhstan within this direction. Currently, a Roadmap for the Development of Medical Tourism for 2026–2028 is being developed jointly with the Ministry of Healthcare.

Another unique tourist product of the country that attracts external flows is the Baikonur complex – the first and largest spaceport in the world. On the instruction of the Prime Minister, the Concept for Tourism Development at the Baikonur Complex until 2030 has been approved.

“As part of the Concept implementation, the time for obtaining permits for foreign tourists has been reduced to 10 days. This has increased the accessibility of the complex and allowed tour operators to develop programs for visiting launches and inter-launch programs. The Gagarin launch pad, the fueling and assembly complex, and the dynamic test stand transferred to Kazakhstan have high tourist potential,” Yerbol Myrzabosynov said.

Special attention in the regional context is paid to the calendar of major events aimed at attracting tourists, which was approved in December 2025. To date, 17 out of 55 planned events have been held, and the total number of visitors exceeded 150 thousand people.

One of the important events of this year will be the holding of the international tournament “Games of the Future”, which will take place in Astana from July 29 to August 9. The participation of about 900 athletes from more than 50 countries of the world, representatives of international sports organizations, the digital industry, media, and fans is expected. According to the relevant department’s assessment, the tournament will create additional demand for the capital’s hotel, transport, and service infrastructure.

Tournament participants will compete for victory in 8 disciplines that combine classical sports and esports. The competition program includes futsal, basketball, shooters, martial arts, dancing, Battle Royale, as well as MOBA on PC and mobile devices. Domestic tour operators have already prepared special tourist packages that include attending the competitions and getting acquainted with the cultural attractions of the capital. The competitions themselves will be held at four sports facilities in Astana.

#Finance #Government session #Investments #Tax Policy #Tourism

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