Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan eye to increase foreign tourist flow twofold
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 17
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan plan to establish joint tourist routes, which will help increasing the tourist flow twofold in the next two years, Chairman of Board of Kazakh Tourism national company Rashid Kuzembayev announced.
The sides plan to create a unified tourism offer that will allow travelers to visit both countries in a single trip, Sputnik Kazakhstan news agency reported.
During the first Kazakh-Uzbek tourism forum, Kuzembayev noted that the common goal of the sides is to merge rich and diverse cultures of the two nations with existing eco-tourism potential.
“We have to create, brand and promote joint tourist offers. We used to say: two countries – one tourism product. Thus, we conventionally increase our tourism product’s cost twice,” Kuzembayev said.
According to him, accommodation load of Uzbek hotels and guest houses reaches 85-90 percent in high season. In Kazakhstan the load is usually 25-30 percent in regular period and 60-70 percent in high season.
“If we offer joint tourist routes, we may see a two-time tourist flow increase in the next two years, I believe,” Kuzembayev underlined.
The product authors said that the Kazakh part of the new tour will include Turkestan, Almaty, Shymkent and Taraz cities, Sauran and Otyrar ancient sites, Sairam-Ugam, Aksu-Jabagli and Il-Alatau national parks and Tamgaly Tas natural landmark. The Uzbek part will cover Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Tashkent.
The cost of the tours will be $500 or less.
Earlier, Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sport Arystanbek Mukhamediuly announced plans on implementation of unified multiple-entry visas for foreign tourists between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
