Borovoye transformation into real resort area costs $1.5 billion

Transformation of Borovoye resort near Astana into a year-round resort area complying with international standards requires private and government investments in the amount of $1.5 billion, Marat Igaliyev, Head of the Industry and Tourism Committee of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan, told Tengrinews. According to him, the reconstruction plan covers the period until 2020. It was presented in Shchuchinsk on December 6. "We presented the plan developed by the Tourism Committee together with Spanish THR to all the hotels and local executive authorities. They gave us some feedback and their recommendations will be reflected in the project of development of the Shchuchensk-Borovoye resort zone for 2014-2016. The plan covers five tourist zones. We want to offer the EXPO-2017 visitors a recreation site easily accessible by car from Astana," he said. Kazakhstan officials expect 1 million tourists to visit the resort by 2020. At present time a tourist zone of premium class is being constructed on Scshuchinsk lake bank of Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort area. The state authorities have already inspected the engineering infrastructure, maintenance, construction and reconstruction of roads, cleansing of water reservoirs of Shchuchinsk city and Borovoye village. According to the director of the Tourism Industry Center of KIDI (Kazakhstan Industry Development Institute) Karlygash Altayeva, it is planned to build hotels that will offer accommodation for reasonable prices. "There will be five tourist zones: three of them are priority tasks and the other two are secondary. Five-star, four-star and three-star hotels with a total of 1800 rooms will be built. There will be 11 hotels win total. None of them will be big, three storeys maximum, to make tourists more comfortable," Altayeva said. Kazakhstan is also planning to launch a new ski jumping stadium in Borovoye resort in 2014. According to the chief of Tourism Department of Akmola Oblast Shynarbek Batyrkhanov, an average of 15 thousand people visit the resort every day. The tourist flow is far above the average in summer, but stays as low of 40% in autumn and only 20% in winter. Besides, an eco laboratory will be established in Borovoye in 2015. The laboratory center will include the 30 labs, a campus, a territory of around 20 hectares for an observatory and a hotel for visitors. Borovoye is one of the most famous recreation areas in Kazakhstan located not far from Astana. The country's only autobahn leads to this place from Astana.