Kazakhstan Draws 1.6 Million Tourists a Year, Yet Foreign Arrivals Scarce

Astana's tourism sector is expanding, but the growth remains heavily dependent on the internal market. Data for the first half of 2026 reveals that of the total visitor flow, international arrivals account for a small fraction of the volume. Out of the total arrivals, only 187,000 were foreign tourists, while the remaining majority were Kazakhstani citizens. This trend mirrors the tourism structure of Almaty, suggesting that the country's largest urban centers function primarily as hubs for domestic travel rather than international destinations. According to Yevgeny Glotov, deputy akim of Astana, the city attracts approximately 1.6 million tourists annually, with an average growth rate of 10-12% per year. The administration identifies four primary drivers of this traffic: event-based, business, cultural, and medical tourism.