Visitors from China spend more in Kazakhstan than those from Russia
Visitors from China spent an average of about 467,000 tenge (approximately $1,040) during trips to Kazakhstan, compared with about 161,000 tenge for visitors from Russia. A significant share of Chinese visitors’ spending went toward international transportation, according to data from Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics (BNS).
According to a sample survey of inbound visitors covering January-July 2026, the total expenditure of 763 visitors from China amounted to 356.3 million tenge. Therefore, the average expenditure per person was around 467,000 tenge (approximately $1,040).
For comparison, 12,757 surveyed visitors from Russia spent 2.05 billion tenge in total. Spending per person averaged about 161,000 tenge, 2.9 times less than visitors from China.
At the same time, visitors from Russia accounted for more than half of all survey participants. The BNS surveyed 25,000 foreign visitors, 51% of whom were from Russia. Visitors from China accounted for around 3%.
What visitors from China spent their money on
International transportation accounted for the largest share of spending by visitors from China. They spent 238 million tenge on travel to and from Kazakhstan, representing 66.8% of their total expenditure.
Accommodation accounted for 41.1 million tenge, while food and groceries came to 34.9 million and purchases of goods to 15.8 million. Domestic transportation expenses totaled 11.2 million tenge.
The spending patterns of visitors from Russia differed significantly. International transportation accounted for 861.7 million tenge, or 42% of their total expenditure. Food and groceries accounted for 448.5 million tenge, purchases of goods for 296.4 million tenge, and accommodation for 243.1 million tenge.
Thus, international transportation costs account for much of the difference in average spending between visitors from the two countries.
Excluding international transportation, average spending per person would come to around 155,000 tenge for visitors from China and 93,000 tenge for those from Russia, narrowing the difference from 2.9 times to 1.7 times.
At the same time, international transportation spending does not necessarily go to Kazakhstani companies, as foreign carriers may operate some trips.
Nearly half of visitors from China come to Kazakhstan for business
BNS data also provides a breakdown of visitors by purpose of visit. Among those surveyed from China, 358 people (46.9%) came to Kazakhstan for business and professional purposes. Another 405 cited personal reasons.
The share of business trips among visitors from Russia was significantly lower. Of the 12,757 people surveyed, 2,376 (18.6%) visited Kazakhstan for business and professional purposes, while the remaining 10,381 came for personal reasons.
The average length of stay also differed. Visitors from China spent 2,540 nights in Kazakhstan, averaging 3.3 nights per person. For visitors from Russia, the figure was around 3.5 nights.
With comparable lengths of stay, visitors from China spent more on average than visitors from Russia, while nearly half traveled to Kazakhstan for business.
The BNS survey was conducted among non-residents departing Kazakhstan at airports, railway stations, long-distance bus stations, and land border checkpoints. The survey included 25,001 people. Their combined expenditure amounted to 4.88 billion tenge, of which around 2.4 billion tenge went towards international transportation. However, these figures reflect survey participants’ spending, not that of all foreign visitors to Kazakhstan over the first seven months of 2026.
