Kazakhstan stands a good chance to enter global tourist map - expert
First, we would like to know your opinion about the competitiveness of domestic tourism in Kazakhstan.
Domestic tourism in Kazakhstan has positive development dynamics: in 2017, owing to EXPO, the rate of internal tourism increased by 1 million people. We have high potential, but not in all regions. During holidays, tourists generally visit the following cities and regions - Astana and Akmola region, Almaty and Almaty region, East Kazakhstan, South Kazakhstan. In addition, South Kazakhstan region is popular for tourists thanks to its sacred places.
As for Kazakhstan competitiveness in comparison with the habitual foreign directions - for example, Turkey, only a few travel agents can compete with them in terms of popularity. In that competition, I remember the recent post on Facebook that says the following: the recreation center "Lesnaya Skazka" in Almaty region has the same price as package tour to China. However, it is senselessly to compare "Lesnaya Skazka" and Hainan - it is two absolutely opposite tourist's products.
If you consider Kazakhstani tourists, there is a category of people capable to go abroad three times a year. For domestic tourism development, it is necessary that one of three trips have to be across Kazakhstan. It is very important that we do not want foreign tours to disappear. For example, those persons who have money only for one trip abroad shouldn't sacrifice their opportunity to see the world and to learn something new. They can afford small weekend tours. We build this development stage of Kazakhstan domestic tourism on the sense of patriotism and desire to learn our Homeland. If there is a big flow of interested people - so the prices, respectively, will decrease, as in the case with Burabay resort, the cost of which is available for any purse. Certainly, Burabay is a resort, and a resort can't be cheap, otherwise, it will be just a country lodge. Summing up the result, I can say, that development plan of domestic tourism for competitiveness has been half implemented.
Could you tell about the Concept of tourism sector development in Kazakhstan till 2023?
The concept has defined the main directions of vision where we have to go. We have divided Kazakhstan into six clusters - Astana, Almaty, South Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan, Northern Kazakhstan and Western Kazakhstan. Each of them has the focus of tourist's products, has its own name and development offers.
Now in the world, there are three main tourist trends: cultural and historical - we see this cluster with South Kazakhstan, ecotourism is in East Kazakhstan, ethno-tourism - both Akmola and Pavlodar regions. The concept has determined the main niche and the purpose. Visa-free regime eases traveling and ensures convenient air traffic. In general, the Concept is a package of measures for increasing competitiveness of Kazakhstan and getting on the global map of tourism.
Kazakhstan rapidly develops the incoming tourism. How is this development carried out?
Incoming tourists are people coming to Kazakhstan. At the same time, we need to isolate those ones who come to the country for different purposes. For example, in 2016, 6.8 million people came to the country, 4 million of them are labor migrants, people from the neighboring states coming with especially private purposes. However, the World Tourism Organization also urges to take into account these categories, but after all, we didn't consider them as not to deceive neither ourselves nor others. And so only about 2,8 million people were actual tourists in 2016. In 2017, thanks to Astana EXPO, it was 7.7 million, that is we observe an increase by one million. Incoming tourism is very important for the state as it brings the capital to the country as against international tourism.
Certainly, surroundings of Almaty, Burabay and Bayanaul won't be left without tourists. But what we should do with those places which are not on a look, but are not of smaller value? How not to allow to forget about them?
It is expedient to speak about market adaptability, i.e. if there is a demand, and then the new tourist direction will develop. The advantage of receiving government aid is that it has an opportunity to help "artificially". For example, Burabay develops, it is not necessary to help it, its advantages are nearness to Astana, uniqueness, rather small remoteness from the Russian market, having great demand for lakeside rest. During the seasonal period in Burabay, there are too many tourists, and this means, that is necessary to think of approximate places development. That`s why now Lake Big Chebachye is actively developed. It is located on the other side of Burabay, as a result, Burabay will not be so overcrowded. It is necessary because if the number of tourists doesn`t decrease, soon there will be serious ecological problems. Zerenda is developing to assist Burabay, and the third place is Lake Imantau in North Kazakhstan region.
Also, we have in a priority Lake Alakol as it is from the side of Almaty region and East Kazakhstan. The president has recently visited the lake and set visit level at not less than 2 million tourists.
Summing up, it seems to me that it is more important to have unique places which are capable of becoming a reserve, a certain confidential trump. Then there will be no exhausted resort areas and ecological problems and tourism will be able to develop step by step.
What do you think of the potential of "SacredKazakhstan", a subprogram of Rukhani Janghyru Program, in kindling foreign tourists and Kazakhstan citizens' interest in Kazakhstan?
Speaking about this program, I think that the focus on the 100 places each Kazakhstani citizen must visit in the course of his/her lifetime is especially interesting. What interesting is that approximately half sacred places of Kazakhstan are also the most popular tourist places: Ulytau, Akyrtas, Turkistan. However, announcing the program, we need to promote it. For example, a half of Kazakhstani citizens don't know that there is the Mausoleum of Jochi, the younger son of Genghis Khan, in Karaganda region. It is located a hundred kilometers from Zhezkazgan. First, you should reach the city, then, think of how to get to the mausoleum. But, it is worth it - the place is really remarkable. However, the creation of conditions is not enough as it is necessary to motivate population.
In your opinion, has Astana EXPO 2017 had a positive impact on the inflow of foreign tourists?
Statistics would give the best answer to this question: about 6.7 to 6.8 million tourists came here in 2016, while in 2017, it was 7.7 million. It increased by 18%. There is a progress, especially, if we recall the percentage in the four previous years as it was 3% only. Considering the image victories, in 2017, Kazakhstan ranked 52nd among the Best Places to Travel according to The New York Times and 17th according to The Huffington Post. All this will let the world learn more about Kazakhstan to come here.
