ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 20. Kazakhstan has decided to abolish the Bed Tax for tourists, said Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev, Trend reports.
"We have decided that the Bed Tax must be terminated. It creates certain inconveniences for both domestic business and incoming foreign tourists," he said.
According to Yerkinbayev, since the introduction of the tourist tax throughout the country, about 500 million tenge (about $1.04 million) have been collected. But despite this, the authorities decided to suspend it.
"Now, as soon as possible, very urgently, we will make changes to the order, and Bed Tax will be suspended," he added.
Investments worth $4 billion have been attracted to Kazakhstan's tourism industry over the past three years. During this period, more than 400 tourist facilities were built, and hotels from over 20 well-known international chains, including Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham, Accor, and others, opened their doors in the republic.
In 2022, about 1 million foreign tourists visited Kazakhstan; in 2023, this figure is expected to increase to 1.4 million people.