KAZAKHSTAN TO CREATE 5 NEW TOURIST TRAILS
Kazakhstan is looking to further boost its appeal to adventure travellers by developing five new tourist trails unveiling spectacular landscapes and historical structures.
The new routes will be part of a new campaign called “NeoNomad 2022” which is due to be launched in September.
Kazakhstan‘s Minister of Culture and Sports, Dauren Abayev, announced the plans recently following a meeting with representatives of the Kazakh Tourism national company, local tour operators and officials of Almaty and the Almaty Region’s city administration, according to the ministry’s press service.
Five new scenic routes to discover
The most popular routes are in Almaty: Four Seasons in the South-east and the Great Silk Road in the south, which is also a part of an existing trans-boundary linking Kazakhstan and China with continuation into Uzbekistan. The Mangystau route in the South-west with its “alien” landscapes begins next, followed by the untouched nature of the Altai’s route in the east. The northern and eastern parts of the Saryarka route, including such pearls as the Burabai National Park, Imantau-Shalkar mountain lake resort, the Bayanaul National Park and Karkaraly district finish off the list.
Abayev said that following international best practices, several tours can be created along the grand route. The ones that are in high demand among tourists will be improved first.
The officials agreed to develop the route system gradually. The first stage includes making the selected routes more comfortable and safe, while the second stage includes developing tourist infrastructure. Following this, tours will be promoted with the support of tour operators who work with domestic and foreign tourists.
NeoNomad project to highlight 20 spectacular sites across Kazakhstan
To sustain the new routes, the Ministry is launching its “NeoNomad” project in September. It aims to draw up a list of the country’s recommended tourist locations.
The main aim of the project, which covers 20 locations in all regions, is that tourists will be able to take photos at the special locations, where breathtaking pictures are guaranteed. Among them are the Baiterek Monument, Shymbulak ski resort, Aisha Bibi mausoleum, the Tanbalytas petroglyphs, the Berel museum-reserve and other popular locations.
In return, travellers who go on trips around the country will be granted a special “NeoNomad” status. To get the status, one has to visit 20 popular tourist attractions of the country. Then a tourist should take a photo in a special photo frame and post it on social networks with the hashtag “NeoNomad 2022”.