Almaty’s hotels are nearly full as 10,000 football fans arrive for the Kairat-Real Madrid match, according to the Almaty Tourism Department.
Tourism officials, citing the e-Qonaq online system, reveal that over 5,000 foreign tourists have secured hotel stays in Almaty from September 26 to 29, with an equally lively influx expected from across Kazakhstan.
All in all, there are 12,500 rooms in the city’s hotels, which can accommodate 22,800 people. Therefore, the hotel occupancy rate before the match has reached 95%.
“At the same time, some fans traditionally choose alternative accommodations — hostels, apartments and rental housing — which are also comfortable options for city visitors,” the department reported.
It is worth mentioning that, according to the e-Qonaq system, most foreign tourists who arrived in Almaty the day before the match were from China, India, Russia, and other regions of Kazakhstan. The next largest groups came from Japan, the U.K., Spain, the Czech Republic and CIS member states.
Authorities also noted that the economic impact of the match is estimated to be insignificant, as the average foreign tourist spends in Almaty $1,500 (according to Mastercard). According to this estimate, tourists are going to contribute approximately $7.5 million to the city’s economy. Overall, guest expenses primarily cover accommodation, food, transportation, entertainment and shopping, helping small and medium-sized businesses in the city.
