Tourism industry in Kazakhstan: dynamics, investments and Neo Nomad Visa

"Tourism should become a new point of economic growth. There are attractive tourist spots in every region of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to urgently start building the necessary infrastructure, including with the involvement of private investors."

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

As a result of systemic measures implemented in the tourism sector, both inbound tourism indicators and Kazakhstan's position in the world rankings are significantly improving in the country. In 2024, according to the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index, Kazakhstan ranked 52nd among 119 tourist destinations. In the previous ranking, the country was in 66th position.

In 2024, Kazakhstan was visited by 15.3 million foreign guests traveling for various tourist purposes, with the exception of those who arrived for work or permanent residence. Of these, 10.4 million people stayed in the country for more than one day, which allows them to be classified as foreign tourists. According to official statistics, the average length of their stay is 4 days.

According to the National Bank, tourists from far abroad spend an average of 1,500 US dollars in Kazakhstan during their visit. The total amount of foreign tourists' spending in the country in 2024 exceeded 1.2 trillion tenge.

The tourism sector has seen a steady increase in investment in fixed assets. The dynamics of investments in the industry for 2019-2024 are presented below:

2019 - 502 billion tenge
2020 - 629 billion tenge
2021 - 593 billion tenge
2022 - 513 billion tenge
2023 - 787 billion tenge
2024 - 947.5 billion tenge
Over 605 investment projects worth a total of 550 billion tenge were implemented in the tourism sector in 2019-2024, of which 87 investment projects were successfully completed in 2024.

Among the major investment projects, the following can be highlighted:

Makhambet Hotel in Shymkent (4.9 billion tenge);
Keremet Park Family Park in the Atyrau Region (3 billion tenge);
recreation area "Ak-Zhaiyk" in the Almaty region (1.8 billion tenge).
In addition, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, a new type of visa Neo Nomad was introduced. This visa is intended for modern nomads - foreign tourists who combine work and leisure, traveling and working remotely. The new visa regime takes into account the international experience of more than 50 countries that have successfully implemented similar programs after the pandemic.

Foreign tourists will be able to stay in Kazakhstan for up to one year, while remaining employed in their foreign companies. This will not only allow them to immerse themselves in the culture and life of the country, but will also bring economic benefits to Kazakhstan. It is expected that the economic effect of the introduction of the visa will be about 3.6 billion tenge per year if 500 people receive the visa. Foreigners who use Neo Nomad will live and spend money in Kazakhstan without taking up jobs in the domestic labor market - which is an important aspect of this program.

Kazakhstan's tourism potential is successfully promoted in the international arena. Thus, according to The New York Times, Almaty was included in the top 52 tourist destinations, and according to Lonely Planet magazine, Kazakhstan is included in the list of the best countries for travel in 2025. In addition, Condé Nast Traveller Italia included the Shymbulak ski resort in the TOP-5 best tourist destinations.

CNN Travel published a list of 25 destinations that it recommends for travel in 2025, assigning Kazakhstan a special status. In particular, Almaty was recognized as one of the best tourist destinations and called the "capital of the new style" of Central Asia due to its unique atmosphere, combining majestic natural landscapes and dynamically developing urban culture.

In the coming years, Kazakhstan will continue to actively develop the tourism industry, implementing large-scale projects and initiatives, such as:

Implement comprehensive plans for the development of three priority tourist destinations:

Shchuchinsk-Borovskoy resort area
Mangistau resort area
Almaty mountain cluster.
By 2027, it is planned to implement 181 investment projects worth more than 1.1 trillion tenge. Increase employment in the tourism sector to 800 thousand people, and create 10 thousand new jobs in rural areas due to the development of agrotourism.

Increase the number of domestic tourists to 11 million people, and also increase the number of beds to 280 thousand. Cover all hotels with the eQonaq information system.

In addition, take 50th place in the global Travel and Tourism Development Index.

These initiatives will not only strengthen the country's position on the world tourism map, but also open up new opportunities for travelers, businesses and local communities.