What foreign tourists look for in Almaty

Almaty reported a 53.1% increase in flight ticket booking over the period from January to April / Collage: Kursiv.media, photo editor: Denis Andreev

The Global Tourism Perception Index (GTPI) in Almaty has risen by 9.8%, reaching 76.61. According to the Almaty mayor’s office, the main attractions for foreign tourists coming to the city are the mountains and nature.

«We analyzed the preferences of tourists visiting Almaty and have learned that most of them are coming for the mountains and nature (43%). Art takes second place (21%), followed by outdoor activities (17%), food (5%) and shopping (3%),» the Almaty authorities said in a statement.

The Almaty government also said that over the period from January to April, the number of booked flight tickets grew to 69,000, a 53.1% increase over 2023.

«The majority of tourists are coming alone or with a partner. They are staying in the city from four to seven days on average. Turkey (24,300 passengers, +32.5%), South Korea and the UAE are the leaders of booking statistics of air tickets to Almaty,» the mayor’s office reported.

India and China have also reported a surge in interest in flight tickets to Almaty.

More than 766,600 tourists visited various recreational areas in Kazakhstan from January to March 2024, which is 63,100 more people than the same period last year. The Almaty cluster was the most popular tourist destination with 551,900 guests. The Shchuchinsk-Borovoe resort zone was the second most popular destination visited by 69,100 people. And the third most popular tourist destination was the Mangystau resort zone which attracted more than 57,500 visitors.

Kursiv LifeStyle reviewed the best destinations in the Almaty region, the Caspian Sea and the Shchuchinsk-Borovoe resort zone, finding out where to spend this summer in Kazakhstan and how to get there from Astana.

Concerning vacation preferences among Kazakhstanis, more than half of them will spend their vacation within the country, which is three times as many as those who want to travel abroad. The most popular destinations for internal tourists are the Almaty cluster, the Burabay National Park and Lake Alakol.