Tickets for Air Astana flights are now available on Ctrip, China’s largest travel and tourism platform. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at the results of the move.
Almaty’s Department of Tourism said that a campaign to promote the city to Chinese tourists reached more than 75.3 million users. Over two months, ticket sales from Chinese cities to Almaty increased 20-fold compared with the same period in 2025.
Chinese tourists currently prefer independent travel and active recreation. The most popular destinations include Shymbulak, Kolsai Lakes and Big Almaty Lake.
Most travelers arrive in Almaty from cities with direct flights, including Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xi’an. They are typically between 35 and 49 years old. However, there is an emerging trend of Chinese tourists aged 25 to 34 traveling to Almaty, with mountain tourism being their primary interest.
