The plans for the new tourism season were announced by Alimzhan Dayyrbayev, Acting Deputy Head of the Tourism Department, YK-news.kz reports.
It is expected that tourist and recreational facilities in East Kazakhstan will receive 534,000 domestic tourists over the year, including local residents and visitors from other regions of Kazakhstan. In addition, around 44,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit the region.
The final results for 2025 have not yet been finalized; however, according to preliminary estimates by the Tourism Department, the region hosted approximately 450,000 domestic tourists and about 20,000 international visitors. Thus, in the coming year, the region plans to double the number of foreign tourists compared to the previous year.
Tourist numbers are calculated based on accommodation data provided by tourist bases and hotels.
“Of course, we cannot compete with Almaty, but in terms of the number of accommodation facilities, we rank second nationwide,” Alimzhan Dayyrbayev commented. “In terms of bed capacity, we are third.”
According to experts, the actual tourist flow may be higher due to so-called “shadow tourism,” when travelers stay in houses officially registered as summer cottages. The figures may also vary due to independent campers—tourists who travel with tents rather than staying at tourist facilities.
During the meeting, concerns were raised that inbound tourism could be affected by the Ministry of Finance’s policy on foreign currency exchange. Russian tourists may enter Kazakhstan using internal passports, but exchanging rubles for tenge at exchange offices is only possible with a foreign passport. This issue, however, can only be resolved at the level of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Source: yk-news.kz
Translation: VisitEastKZ
