Kazakhstan sees surge in Chinese tourists after visa-free travel

Following the introduction of visa-free travel between Kazakhstan and China, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Kazakhstan has surged. Since early 2024, over 122,000 tourists from China have visited, marking a 64% increase year-on-year.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and data from the eQonaq tourist flow and migration control system, the first 10 months of 2024 saw 122,000 Chinese tourists, up from 78,515 visitors during the same period last year. This increase aligns with the recent mutual visa-free travel agreement and the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China.

«The visa-free policy and frequent flights have made Kazakhstan more accessible and attractive to Chinese tourists. We are committed to developing tourism infrastructure and enhancing services to accommodate the growing demand and maintain the substantial growth in tourist traffic,» said Nurtas Karipbayev, chairman of the Committee for Tourism Industry.

In September, Kazakhstan also established a visa-free regime with Morocco, allowing Kazakhstanis to stay up to 30 days without a visa. Today, Kazakhstanis can travel to 35 countries visa-free.