Unveiling the Digital Future of Domestic Tourism in Kazakhstan 🔥
Domestic tour sales platform to be developed in Kazakhstan, boosting local travel industry
Get ready for a digital revolution in Kazakhstan's tourism sector! With a push for online platforms, the sale of domestic tourism packages is set to become as easy as a few clicks. The visionary mind behind this move, Yerjan Erkinbaev, Kazakh Tourism Chairperson, announced this upcoming venture at a recent press gathering, according to Total.kz.
"The challenge for domestic tourism packages lies in their accessibility, particularly the need for an online platform to purchase tours seamlessly. Teaming up with the business community, we've envisioned an online marketplace for domestic tours. This hub will be a one-stop-shop, highlighting top offers from tour operators, with purchasing made effortless through popular and handy services," shared Erkinbaev.
Business giants like 'Kaspi', 'Forte', and 'Choco Travel' have expressed active support and interest in this project, scheduled for a mid-summer launch.
addressing the issue of under-regulated tour guides has become a priority. Tour guides are currently unsupervised, working on a notification basis, with the existing registry omitting important details like guides' competence and past interactions with tourists.
There have been instances of foreign nationals illegally offering guide services within the country. To tackle these concerns, Kazakh Tourism proposes the adoption of an online system that requires guides to regularly confirm their knowledge and maintains a personal profile, displaying their language skills, preparation levels, and tourist reviews. Every guide will be assigned a unique QR code, offering easy identification and access to their profile.
Erkinbaev emphasized the significance of uniform standards for tourism services and hotels, which are classified under law. Unfortunately, self-assigned star ratings by hotels and outdated classification rules have persisted for over a decade. In line with global practices requiring revisions every three years, Kazakhstan seeks to update these rules and implement a domestic quality mark for the tourism industry, making it simpler for tourists to select quality options.
Behind the Scenes: 🎯
- Kazakhstan's pursuit of digital tourism is evident in projects like Almaty's SuperApp, allowing users to plan trips, book tours, and access virtual guides [4].
- Forums and exhibitions like KITF 2025 focus on digital innovation and sustainable tourism practices, suggesting the development of online platforms for selling domestic tourism packages [1][2].
- The hotel classification system is soon to be overhauled, aiming to align with international standards [4].
[1] Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (URL: https://wyndhamdestinations.com/updates/expo-2025/)[2] KITF 2025 (URL: https://www.kazakhstan.travel/kitz/en)[3] 10 global tourist destinations (URL: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-most-visited-tourist-destinations.html)[4] The role of SuperApps in the digital transformation of tourism industries (URL: https://www.davert.de/the-role-of-superapps-in-the-digital-transformation-of-tourism-industries/)
- Recognizing the importance of streamlined finance transactions, Yerjan Erkinbaev, Kazakh Tourism Chairperson, aims to partner with businesses like Kaspi, Forte, and Choco Travel, to facilitate purchasing domestic tour packages effortlessly through digital means.
- In line with the digital lifestyle trend, Erkinbaev also proposed the adoption of an online system for tour guides, requiring regular confirmation of knowledge, maintaining a personal profile, and displaying language skills, preparation levels, and tourist reviews.
- As part of the digital revolution in the tourism sector, Kazakhstan aims to update the outdated hotel classification rules, implementing a domestic quality mark for the industry, which aligns with international standards and simplifies tourist decisions based on quality options.
