Kazakhstan is becoming Central Asia’s fastest-growing tourism destination, according to new official figures showing the country’s hotels and other accommodation facilities welcomed more than 10 million guests, including 8.7 million domestic tourists, an increase of 700 thousand year-on-year.
The figures, released by the Prime Minister’s office, point to a sector moving from post-pandemic recovery into a more strategic growth phase, supported by rising visitor demand, new hotel investment and a government push to diversify the country’s tourism offer beyond its best-known urban and mountain destinations.
Inbound travel remains one of the clearest indicators of momentum. Kazakhstan recorded 15.7 million foreign citizen visits in 2025, of which 11.1 million were leisure trips. Total income from accommodation facilities reached 350.6 billion tenge (over €652 million). Investment in the tourism sector exceeded 1.3 trillion tenge, reflecting a broader effort to position travel as a long-term contributor to regional development, employment, and investment appeal.
Accommodation capacity is also expanding. The country counted 4,482 accommodation facilities in 2025, offering more than 232,000 beds, after adding 179 facilities and over 7,000 beds in a year. Over the past 15 years, the number of guests using accommodation services has more than quadrupled, while annual investment in the sector has increased almost sevenfold, according to the government figures.
The expansion is being framed under Kazakhstan’s Tourism Development Concept through 2029, which includes measures to improve infrastructure, product quality, and international promotion. The government is targeting 11 million domestic tourists by 2029 and is prioritising segments including ecotourism, agritourism, self-drive travel, equestrian routes, gastronomy, MICE, child-friendly travel, and youth tourism.
Hotel development is a central part of the strategy. Twenty-four internationally branded hotel projects are planned across 11 regions, with private investment supported by lending and investment incentives. Projects named by the government include properties under Hilton, Marriott, Novotel, Courtyard by Marriott, Rixos and Radisson Blu brands in destinations including Konaev, Pavlodar, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Almaty, and Shymkent.
@wh1spuy Almaty 02 || #viral #cinematic #almaty #kazakhstan #fyp ♬ original sound – wh1spy
Regional infrastructure upgrades are also being accelerated ahead of peak travel periods. Works cited by officials include beach development around Konaev, improved access to Kaiyndy Lake and the City of Nomads site, a planned new terminal at Usharal Airport serving the Alakol resort zone, modernisation around Balkhash and Karkaraly, safety upgrades in Mangystau, and improvements in Burabay, Bayanaul and the Imantau-Shalkar resort area.
One of the country’s flagship projects is Almaty SuperSki, a major mountain tourism development planned for launch in December 2028. The project is expected to include 11 modern cableways, with France’s POMA selected for lift infrastructure and design input from Foster + Partners. Officials say the scheme is intended to unlock the Almaty mountain cluster while supporting services and related industries.
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Digital tools and events are also being used to strengthen the destination’s international profile. Kazakhstan.travel provides multilingual destination information, while the government is developing e-guides, QR-based services for foreign visitors and the TravelStan mobile application. A national events calendar for 2026 features 55 cultural, ethnographic, sporting and gastronomic events, with an English-language booklet prepared for international tourism fairs and tour operator engagement.
For the global travel industry, the numbers reveal how Kazakhstan is moving beyond awareness-building and into destination development at scale. With visitor flows rising, international brands entering the market, and regional infrastructure projects advancing, the country is positioning tourism as a more visible pillar of economic diversification and as a stronger competitor in the Central Asian travel landscape.
