ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to promote ecotourism, agrotourism, and ethnographic tourism by establishing new tour routes, trails, observation sites, and parking spaces to attract foreign visitors, reported Jibek Joly TV on March 30.

As part of this plan, Kazakhstan will continue to prioritize national parks in the Almaty Region, including Altyn-Emel, Kolsai Lakes, Ile-Alatau, and Sharyn national parks, according to the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

An approach was outlined in 2019 to develop various types of tourism in key locations while ensuring that the ecosystem is not strained. As a result, the concentration of people in the national parks will not exceed five percent.

Latest improvements in the infrastructure of national parks include new visitor centers in Turgensai and Ayusay gorges, the construction of a bridge over the Bolshaya Almatinka River, creation and improvement of educational trails, and launch of glamping sites and campsites.

“We plan to introduce voluntary certification with a quality assessment system to develop ecotourism,” said the ministry’s spokesperson Nurbol Baizhanov.

Agritourism will offer opportunities to experience farm life and participate in masterclasses on national cuisine and eco-product tastings. Experts will assess promising locations that can become a center of attraction.

To develop ethnographic tourism, the ministry will form a list of artisans, open centers with craft studios and create a visual identity of national handicrafts to promote national applied arts in Kazakhstan and abroad.

astanatimes.com