The State Program of tourism development in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2007-2011 (hereinafter-The State Program) was worked out in compliance with the National plan on realization of the Message of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to people of Kazakhstan dated 1st of August, 2006 “Kazakhstan on the threshold of new onrush in its development”, the Program of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter – The Government) for 2006-2008, confirmed by Decree of the Government dated 31/3/2006, № 222, and the Medium-term plan of social-economic development of RK for 2007-2009 (the second phase) confirmed by Decree of the Government dated 25/8/2006, № 822.

In the course of realization of the Program on tourism branch development for 2003-2005, confirmed by Decree of the Government on 29 of December, 2002, № 1445, international tourism relationships were broadened, contributed to legislative and legal bases improvement of tourism branch.

A new impulse for tourism industry development was given by recognition of tourism branch as one of the priority economical sectors among seven cluster initiatives.

One of the most important objectives determined by the Government in tourism sphere – transformation of Kazakhstan into tourism center of central Asian region.

The State Program gives the opportunity to create a modern effective and competitive tourism industry and ensure development of an adjacent economical sector. It determines the strategy, basic directions, priorities, objectives and mechanism of state policy realization in the sphere of tourism development and covers the main aspects of tourism infrastructure development, creation of effective governmental regulation mechanism and tourism support, formation of tourism image of the country, promotion of tourism potential, creation of recreational zones directed to economical specialization.

The modern tourism industry, based on a unique natural and cultural potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan – is a natural system forming factor of flexible tourism integration into the system of international trade on tourism services, one of the most dynamically developing and effective reimbursement regarding investments of the branch in spite of its capital output ratio.

Condition of tourism branch for the last three years is characterized by its progressive and sustainable development. It is proved by inbound and domestic tourism growth tendencies and creation of governmental regulation of tourism activity.

A special attention was paid to tourism image formation of the country and promotion of the national tourism product on the world market of tourist services, since 2001 Kazakhstan participates in the most popular tourism exhibitions and fairs such as “ITB” in Berlin (Germany), “WTM” in London (The Great Britain), “FITUR” in Madrid (Spain), “MITT” in Moscow (Russia).

From year to year exhibition areas are being extended as well as an increase of representative tourism companies of Kazakhstan abroad, and also improving of advertisement products (brochures). The first tourism office of Kazakhstan was established in London.

Annually Kazakhstan International Tourism Fair – “KITF” in Almaty and International Tourism Festival “Belukha” (East Kazakhstan), which are included to the UNWTO Calendar of International Events, are being organized. More than 200 companies from 23 countries participated in “KITF” in 2005, and about 450 companies from 30 countries exhibited in 2006. Annual Kazakhstan Tourism Exhibition “Astana - Leisure” the main objectives of which are to attract tourists flow into the central and northern regions of the country, image forming of Astana – the capital of the country - as the city of the 3rd millennium.

Training seminars for entrepreneurs in tourism sphere on business plan making and creation of investments projects with the attraction of grants, technical assistance and investments are being annually organized.

Catalogue on investments projects, reference books, leaflets and other information on paper and electronic bearer were published in order to present tourism opportunities of Kazakhstan at the world market.

Image promotion of Kazakhstan and investments attraction into the tourism industry is rendered by the Working Group of the Foreign Investors` Council (FIC) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the framework of which a subgroup on tourism was created in 2005. The abovementioned subgroup consists of interested members of the Working Group of the FIC.

Nowadays the country is able to organize all existent types of tourism. In the framework of tourism cluster development, the priority directions for tourism development, such as business, ecological, cultural-cognitive and extreme were marked out.

The primary tourist services suppliers are tourist organizations, which are presented by 1105 tourist organizations and 30 individual entrepreneurs licensed to tourist activity realization.

Along with the abovementioned, about 37 tourism organizations realize their activity in cooperation with foreign companies and representatives.

Annual growth of outbound tourism flow can be observed as well. The number of outbound tourists, operated by tourist agencies aboard made – 67360 tourists in 2000 and 210692 tourists in 2005. The most popular faraway foreign countries among Kazakhstan residents is Turkey (63,1 thousand people – 30%), China (48,6 thousand people -23,1%), the United Arab Emirates (23,8 thousand people – 11,3%).

Creation of appropriate conditions for high-performance and competitive tourist complex in order to supply with facilities to satisfy wants of residents and non-residents in various tourism services, standard preparations for quality assurance of national tourist product. Conditions for investments attraction into material and technical basis of tourism in Kazakhstan are specified. Tourism development is closely connected with transport development. Foreign tourists prefer airline transport when visiting our country. The domestic tourism mostly determines by the auto transport. The State roads` increase, among which are the roads to great tourism objects.

The main factors of inbound and domestic tourists flow growth is the development of transport network and geographical extension of all passenger transport. All this considered, the national transporter – joint - stock company “National Company “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” and joint - stock company “Passenger transportation”, under the aegis of authoritative body of tourism sphere, the first stage of project on special train “Silk Way Perl” on rout “Almaty-Taraz-Shymkent-Tashkent-Samarkand-Urgench-Byshkek-Rybachie-Almaty” is being realized since 2002.

The realization of the second stage to Teheran and realization of the 3rd stage to Beijing across Xinjiang-Uyghur autonomous region of China is being planned.

In the period of 2003-2005 the standard legal basis of foreign affairs in the sphere of tourism of the Republic of Kazakhstan was enlarged. At present time the number of active legal documents makes 27 Agreements on cooperation in tourism sphere and 17 drafts of Agreements.

The cooperation between Kazakhstan and the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations and other national tourism administrations of member-states of the World Tourism Organization is growing and consolidate.

Tourism development in regions

The greatest number of inbound tourists flow with domination of business tourism can be observed in Astana and Almaty cities, Atyrau, Karagandy and Aktobe regions. Outbound tourism mostly developed in Astana and Almaty cities, Almaty, Karagandy, the North and West Kazakhstan regions.

Domestic tourism mostly developed in Astana city, Almaty, the West Kazakhstan, Karagandy, Almaty and Almola regions.
The number of tourists by all types of tourism is served in Almaty and Astana cities, the West Kazakhstan, Karagandy, Almaty, Atyrau, and Aktobe regions as a whole.

The purposes of trips are business and professional, leisure and shop tours.

Tourism infrastructure

According the data of the Statistical Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, there are 515 tourism objects on the territory of Kazakhstan, including: hotels (385), camps (7), health center (36), preventorium health center (32), pension (4), recreational zones (29), rest home (27), tourist center (24), sanitary camp (35), mountain skiing lodge (4), guest house (13), hunting house (9), youth center (1), recreational complex (7), museums (6), mausoleum (2), state enterprise on tourism (1), and other (clubs, craftsman` cities)(5).

The most popular clinics are – “Sary Agash” (The South Kazakhstan), “Arasan-Kapal” (Almaty region), “Moyaldy”, “Bayanaul” (Pavlodar region), “Zhanakorgan” (Kyzylorda region), Schuchinsko-Burabay zone (Akmola region), “Kaspii” (Mangystay region) and other.

The farther development of hotel network in Kazakhstan depends on business tourism. Because when visiting Astana and Almaty foreign tourists prefer to stay in comfortable hotels, such as “The President Hotel “RIXOS”, “Radisson SAS”, “OKAN Intercontinental Astana”, “The Intercontinental Almaty. The Ankara in Kazakhstan”, “Hyatt Regency” and other.

Air transport

One of the basic factors that influence on international tourism promotion is passengers’ air transportation. At present the regular flights to Kazakhstan are making by six foreign air companies, such as “KLM”, “Lufthansa”, “British Airlines”, “Astana Air Arabia”, “China south Airlines”, “Turkish Airlines”. The national air carrier – “Air Astana”- makes its regular flights to Turkey, Germany, China, South Korea, Thailand, The Great Britain, India, UAE and Netherlands.

Nowadays there are 13 airports in Kazakhstan with transportation traffic access (Astana, Almaty, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karagandy, Kostanay, Pavlodar, Semey, Petropavlovsk, Taraz, Uralsk, Oskemen, Shymkent).