In 2023, over 3.8 million tourists vacationed in 19 Kazakh resort areas, generating more than ₸130 billion ($292 million as of May 20, 2024) in revenue. This marks an increase of 311,000 tourists compared to 2022, QazMonitor reports citing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Main destinations: The Almaty mountain area was the most popular destination, attracting over 2.3 million visitors. The Mangystau resort zone followed with more than 356,200 visitors, while Burabay accommodated 305,400 tourists. The coast of Lake Alakol in the Abay region rounded out the list of top destinations, with 205,800 visitors in 2023.
Number of arrivals: Overall, Kazakhstan welcomed 9.2 million foreign tourists in 2023, twice the number from the previous year. Additionally, over 9.6 million residents traveled within the country, an increase of 1 million people. Accommodation services generated more than ₸229 billion ($516 million), a 1.3-fold increase from the ₸182.9 billion ($412 million) reported in 2022.
Budget revenue: Tax revenues from the tourism industry amounted to ₸450 billion ($1.01 billion), an increase of ₸64 billion from the previous year. In 2023, investments in tourism reached ₸787 billion ($1.7 billion), representing a 53% increase y/y.
