More than half a million tourists visited Astana in 2012

The steady growth in incoming tourism is also seen by the increased hotel occupancy: in 2009 it was 28.5%, in 2010 - 31.2%. In 2011 this rate rose to 42%, and in the first half of 2012 - 49%. Though, the hotel fund of the city is constantly expanding. At present, Astana has 172 hotels totaling 5124 rooms.
In many ways, the positive dynamics of tourism has been achieved through the joint work of local executive bodies and non-governmental organizations in the field of tourism. At present, the city has 169 travel agencies. For the successful promotion of Astana in the international tourist market, they are actively encouraged to participate in regional and international tourism fairs.
Another effective and popular tool to inform potential tourists is the specialized website www.visit-astana.kz.
One of the most striking pieces of evidence of increasing attractiveness of the city of Astana is a victory in the fight for the right to host the international exhibition EXPO-2017. This will give a new impetus to the development of tourism not only for Astana, but for the whole country.