Over the next decade, Kazakhstan plans to increase private investment in ecotourism to $ 1.25 billion, as announced by the Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Magzum.
The department headed by him carried out calculations of the projected opportunities for the development of ecotourism until 2030, according to which the flow of tourists should increase to 12.5 million people, up to 20 thousand additional jobs will be created, and industry revenues will grow to $5 billion.
According to him, the American model for the development of national parks will be taken as a model, providing, first of all, for the creation of environmental infrastructure.
“We must move away from restaurant and barbecue tourism and make such a unique product that will appeal to both domestic and foreign tourists,” Magzum Mirzagaliev emphasized. “For example, we need to make hiking accessible - and within this direction, a private investor will pour at least $ 30 million into the infrastructure of the Ile-Alatau park in the next 3-4 years to create about 155 km of hiking trails.”
The Minister recalled that there are 13 national parks in the country “with not the most developed infrastructure”, which in 2019 were visited by 1.5 million guests. Among the main problems that impede the development of ecotourism in Kazakhstan, he noted the poor quality of accommodation, catering and the lack of appropriate infrastructure: equipped trails, information centers, rental points, souvenir shops, viewing platforms, arbors.
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