“Inclusion in this prestigious list is proof of Kazakhstan’s rich culture and amazing nature, as well as the high level of recognition of the country’s tourism potential,” noted JSC “Qazaq Tourism”.

Dove Travel magazine, which has been highly respected for over 20 years, included Kazakhstan in the list of the top 10 destinations that should be visited at least once in a lifetime.

Additionally, the Katon-Karagay district in Eastern Kazakhstan has also been added to the Travel Green List of “green” tourist destinations by the British magazine Wanderlust.

“Five years ago, residents of the Katon-Karagay district – a sweep of lonely steppe, mountains and forests in far eastern Kazakhstan – faced a dilemma. Though home to the country’s largest national park and around 275 bird species, its 48 villages attracted few visitors, and there was little work available. As a result, its population had almost halved since the turn of the century, many residents having moved to cities in search of employment,” the publication notes.

The British editors praised the Sustainable Rural Development Fund, established in 2019, for enhancing the quality of life in three remote regions, including Katon-Karagay. Initiatives include training hotel operators, the establishment of a hospitality school, support for hiking trails, installation of road signs, and financing tourist information centers. These efforts have helped build a sustainable tourism community and enhanced the visitor experience in the region.

Besides that, Lonely Planet’s travel website emphasizes Almaty and Astana as essential destinations for tourists. “Kazakhstan is a country that always has something new to reveal,” the website notes. Cities such as Astana, Almaty, Aktau, Aktobe, and Shymkent boast reliable bus networks, making urban travel convenient.

For a unique experience, the vast steppes of Kazakhstan are best viewed from a train, with all major cities offering rail connections and night trains providing a fun adventure. However, Kazakhstan’s wild steppes and remote Altai Mountains are not accessible by public transport, the travel website notes. For exploring remote mountain areas like those near Almaty or the Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve, horseback riding is recommended.

A recent article by AFP mentioned that Priozersk, a city in the Karaganda region will be transformed into a seaside resort. “We are going to redevelop the entire coastline, so that pedestrians can walk along it. We also plan to build hotels and organize efforts to clean the beaches,” said Priozersk’s Mayor Mansur Akhmetov of his ambitious plans.

This project is in line with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s desire to develop the country’s tourism sector, which represents just 3.2 percent of its GDP.

Priozersk is already home to a smattering of small hotels that mostly host fishermen and a trickle of tourists during the first days of summer.

“Even if the town seems partly abandoned, Lake Balkhash is magnificent. I enjoy the warm water and the sand on the beach,” said Olga Ryapolova, a Russian tourist from Siberia who ‘hopes to come back’ to Priozersk soon.

The development of a thriving tourism sector in Priozersk would mark a dramatic change of fortune for the once-closed city, long unmarked on maps because of secretive military sites, the article concludes.