Kazakhstan aims to expand visa-free entry to 100 countries After the pandemic, Kazakhstan is vigorously advancing its inbound tourism sector, with plans to extend visa-free entry to citizens of 100 countries, according to Minister Counselor Erlan Shamishev of Kazakhstan in Moscow."Following the pandemic crisis, a visa-free regime has been reinstated for 82 countries, with efforts ongoing to expand this to 100 countries. Additionally, international flights have resumed with 28 countries, connecting to 120 destinations," he said at the Travel Tourism Sustainable Development Forum in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.The diplomat noted that the close geographical proximity and extensive border facilitate active tourist exchanges between Russia and Kazakhstan."Our tourism sector is slowly recovering after the pandemic crisis, which brought about a significant downturn and a complete halt to all tourism activities. However, it's notable that during the period when borders were closed, many travelers turned to Russia, with tours along the Golden Ring gaining particular popularity. Last year, Kazakhstan ranked among the top three countries visited by Russian citizens, with approximately 3 million visits recorded. Only Abkhazia and Turkey received more visitors from Russia. Similarly, Kazakh citizens are among the top travelers to Russia, with their numbers increasing by 27% over the year, surpassing three million. We are now increasing air traffic, gradually restoring the flow between cities in Kazakhstan and Russia. Presently, there are 104 flights per week operating on 22 routes,” Shamishev said.He noted that last summer, the Eurasian Alliance of Mountain Resorts was established to promote domestic tourism within the Eurasian region.“The Alliance has united the premier mountain resorts of Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, including Shymbulak, Rosa Khutor, Amirsoy, and Shahdag. In March, Rosa Khutor will host a significant delegation from Kazakhstan. We are presently working on establishing a Kazakh-Russian tourist route, traversing from Southern Kazakhstan, a densely populated area with substantial tourist potential. This route will cover Turkestan, Semirechye, the Ile-Balkhash Nature Reserve, lakes Alakol and Zaysan, the Karkaralinsky and Katon-Karagai national parks, leading to the picturesque beauty of the Altai Mountains and Siberia. This region holds historical significance as the birthplace of Turkic civilization. This collaborative initiative will create numerous job opportunities and will positively impact tourism sector growth, employment rates, small business development, and the overall regional economy,” he said.He mentioned that over the next three years, the tourism sector is expected to increase its contribution to the national economy, with plans to create approximately 60,000 jobs in this industry.The diplomat also highlighted the identification of 10 key attractions aimed at drawing tourists to Kazakhstan. These include major cities, resort areas such as Imantau-Shalkarskaya and Shchuchinsko-Borovskaya, Bayanaul, the coastlines of lakes Alakol and Balkhash, the mountain cluster of the Almaty region, the desert region of Mangystau in the west of the country, and Turkestan. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: Interfax