Issekeshev promises 150 thousand jobs in tourism

Issekeshev plans to create up to 150 thousand jobs in tourism, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Kazakhstan Minister of Industry and New Technologies as saying at the 9th international tourism exhibition Astana Leisure-2012. “According to our preliminary calculations, implementation of the new tourism program will enable us to create up to 150 thousand jobs and attract $5-7 billion of private investments. Of course, the state will invest as well,” Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev said. Currently the authority is working on a core plan of tourism development in Kazakhstan, in particular, development of Borovoye resort area in Akmola oblast, mountain ski area of Almaty, Kenderli resort area. It is also developing a master-plan for a claster program for tourism development in East-Kazakhstan oblast. “These plans involves a large-scale research that will help us define tourism growth hubs, forecast tourist flows, develop methods of assessment of the investment projects and come up with a system of state regulation and support,” Issekeshev noted. Nursultan Nazarbayev talked about the necessity to develop mountain ski resort near Almaty and Borovoye resort in his State-of-the-Union Address to the People of Kazakhstan. According to the President, diversification of the direct foreign investments into the country's economy is one of the important issues for Kazakhstan’s development. By Danial Okassov