Astana (TDI): Kazakhstan’s tourism sector is undergoing a remarkable resurgence, with an increasing number of both international visitors and domestic travelers exploring the country.
Data from the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) revealed that in 2024, the total volume of services provided by hotels, motels, and other accommodation facilities reached about $580 million, marking a 30.8 percent increase from the previous year.
Tax revenues from tourism-related businesses surged by 25.1 percent year-on-year to nearly $492 million, highlighting the sector’s expanding fiscal footprint.
Tourism continues to attract both domestic and foreign investors. Capital investment in the sector totaled $1.8 billion last year, encompassing both private funding for resort and hotel construction and public subsidies aimed at developing tourism infrastructure.
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Throughout the last year, investment in fixed capital across the hospitality, entertainment, arts, and recreation sectors hit $622 million. Of that, $317 million was directed toward accommodation and food services.
In the first quarter of the current year, investment in these sectors went up by a further 6.5 percent.
Home to the Zailiyskiy Alatau ski resorts and scenic natural areas, the Almaty agglomeration, remains a top investment destination. It accounted for 17.4 percent of total capital investments in the HoReCa (Hotels, Restaurants, and Catering) and entertainment sectors last year.
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Presently, about 55 large-scale investment projects underway across the country’s tourism sector, such as the creation of a multifunctional tourist quarter in Astana, the Aqbura Resort in the Akmola region, and the expansion of the Oi-Qaragai ski resort, one of the largest in the region.
The Oi-Qaragai development includes the construction of a new 4-star hotel and notable upgrades to tourism infrastructure. With about $150 million investment, the project is likely to create more than 1,200 new jobs. So far, $44.5 million has been invested, with an additional $57.4 million expected by the end of 2025.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
