How much foreign tourists spend on vacations in Almaty

Tengrinews.kz - The spending habits of tourists in Almaty have been revealed, citing the Almaty city administration.
In 2023, Almaty was named the cultural and tourist capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), leading to a 12.6% increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2022. Over 2 million people visited the city, including a 29.5% rise in the number of foreign tourists.

"Tourism development is actively supported by investments in infrastructure, amounting to 54.6 billion tenge over the first seven months of this year. Tax revenues from the tourism sector also grew by 32.4%, reaching 40.6 billion tenge in the first half of the year," stated the city administration.

An annual survey titled "Tourist Profile" helps to better understand the target audience, including their socio-demographic characteristics, visit objectives, and length of stay. The average foreign tourist is typically a man aged 26-35, traveling alone (40%). The primary purpose of their visit is leisure (68%), with a strong interest in cultural events (48%) and eco-tourism (44%). The average stay is 5 days, with an average daily spending of $334 (160,320 tenge), which is 8.7 times higher than the spending of domestic tourists.
Additionally, studies revealed that the Global Tourism Performance Index (GTPI) in Almaty increased by 6% in the first seven months of 2024, reaching 71%. Tourists highly rated the climate, tourism products, and hotel services.

"Foreign tourists gave positive feedback on the climate (89%), tourism products (79%), and hotels (52%). The average spending per day for leisure tourists is $165.4 (79,400 tenge), while business tourists spend $425 (204,000 tenge), highlighting the importance of developing MICE tourism in Almaty," the report noted.

It's also worth noting that the Almaty region is home to 9 of the 33 locations included in Kazakhstan's Tourist Map. The number of foreign visitors in the Almaty region exceeded 73,000 in the first six months of this year, more than doubling compared to last year.