Tourism

Kazakhstan ranks 66th in the ranking of the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index.

The number of tourists visiting the country increased from 4.2 million in 2016 to 10.7 million in 2019. Due to the 2020 pandemic, there was a decline to 3.5 million people. In 9 months of 2022, 8.3 million people visited the country.

In 2021, according to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), Kazakhstan is in the 129th place in the list with a share of tourism from GDP of 6.2% and a monetary volume of $7.9 billion. Meanwhile, the government of the country is making ambitious plans to increase the industry's contribution to GDP to 15% within five years.

Kazakhstan provides a 90-day visa-free regime for citizens of 10 countries and a 30–day visa-free regime for citizens of 67 countries. In 2014, the state launched a program to provide a 15-day visa-free regime to citizens from countries that have invested more in the economy of Kazakhstan than others. In 2015, the number of countries participating in the program increased to 19.

As of 2023, there are five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan, three of which are of cultural and two more of natural significance. These are the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the archaeological landscape of Tamgaly, the objects of the Great Silk Road in the Chang'an-Tien-Shan corridor and Saryarka — Steppes and lakes of Northern Kazakhstan. 13 more objects are candidates for inclusion in the list

The state at the republican and local executive level creates conditions for the development of this industry by creating favorable conditions for doing business in the country. Investors are offered preferential credit terms, customs duties, tax breaks and in-kind grants.