Holiday packages from employers to improve national tourism: Kazakh Vice PM

Kazakhstani Ministry of Industry and New Technologies has proposed an alternative to free holiday packages, Tengrinews reports citing Vice Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Asset Issekeshev.

“During the Soviet Union there were holiday packages provided by trade union committees. So now we want to introduce holiday package certificates. These certificates are to be covered, for the most part, by big employers to encourage tourism in the country. Employees will pay only 20-30%, or maximum up to 50% for the holiday packages. This would create a significant social incentive for recreation of employees and development of domestic tourism in Kazakhstan,” Issekeshev said.

The proposal is part of the concept of development of tourism in Kazakhstan. Speaking about the concept he added that the project included simplifying the visa application process for foreign tourists. The government plans to invest around $2 billion into tourism before 2020. This would create around 60 thousand new jobs.

“The second option is investing into the (tourism) infrastructure through state and private partnership mechanisms. With the support of the government we expect to get $4-4.5 billion of private investments and to bring the share of tourism in the country's GDP to 1.5%; this would create 150-170 thousand new jobs. And there is the third option, the most optimistic one, that we will manage to bring the share of tourism in the GDP to 3% and get $6 billion in private investments; this would create 300 thousand new jobs. This it would require major reforms as well as support of the state,” Issekeshev said.

Reporting by Assel Satayeva, writing by Gyuzel Kamalova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina