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Tengrinews.kz – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has said Kazakhstan still has a long and difficult road ahead in developing its tourism sector, pointing to laziness, indifference and the pursuit of hype as key obstacles.
Tokayev made the remarks in an interview with the Turkistan newspaper, responding to a question about whether Kazakhstan’s resorts and popular tourist destinations are ready for a large influx of visitors.
“Such doubts are quite justified. After my criticism of the government, work on tourism development intensified, but a long and thorny path still lies ahead. This is a complex field that combines the economy, culture, security and business. It must be handled by professionals who are dedicated to their work and, most importantly, patriots of Kazakhstan. Tourism is incompatible with laziness, indifference, greed and rudeness,” the President said.
Last year, millions of foreign visitors traveled to Kazakhstan, while domestic tourism also showed stronger growth. Tokayev noted that this trend is encouraging.
He pointed out that countries around the world are actively competing for tourist flows by creating favorable conditions for private investors. Kazakhstan, he said, has many beautiful locations, and ecotourism is currently in high demand.
“Here, it would seem Kazakhstan has no equal. However, due to subjective reasons – ranging from incompetence to indifference on the part of responsible officials – this promising type of tourism has yet to achieve mass development. Things rarely go beyond presentations,” Tokayev said.
He also criticized certain so-called eco-activists who, under the pretext of protecting nature reserves, launch protest campaigns against nearly all projects.
“Many of them are not truly concerned about nature. What they want is noise, or as it is now fashionable to say, ‘hype’, in order to gain public recognition,” the President said, adding that such actions are sometimes supported by entrepreneurs who are already in the business and seek to avoid competition.
A similar situation, Tokayev noted, exists in ski tourism. He described Shymbulak as a world-class resort located just 30 minutes from the center of Almaty, set in a unique natural landscape.
“However, prolonged inaction has led to stagnation. The resort has become outdated both physically and morally, and a new development vision is needed for this invaluable gift of nature,” he said.
According to Tokayev, a Kazakhstani development company has taken on the project with support from the government and the city administration, but it remains at the preparatory and presentation stage, while neighboring countries are already moving at full speed with ski infrastructure development.
The Almaty mountain cluster, the President said, has enormous potential and should cater both to affluent tourists and visitors with average incomes. This requires diversification of tourism infrastructure.
Tokayev also highlighted the acute shortage of qualified personnel in the sector. To address this, the International University of Tourism and Hospitality was established in Turkestan, with its first graduates entering the job market in 2024.
“However, this is not enough. Additional measures will be taken to resolve the staffing issue,” he said.
At the same time, Tokayev urged against excessive pessimism. If leading global media outlets are recommending Kazakhstan as a travel destination, he said, the country must double its efforts.
According to CNN Travel, Almaty was named Central Asia’s “new capital of style” for 2025.
“I instructed the mayor to turn Almaty into a city that, like New York, Moscow or Paris, never sleeps – a city that operates around the clock in the interests of its guests. There is still a lot of work to be done, including infrastructure, landscaping and lighting,” Tokayev concluded.
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