A large-scale ski and eco-tourism cluster featuring Superski slopes is planned in Almaty, QazMonitor reports.
According to Yerzhan Yerkinbayev, Executive Director of Kazakh Tourism Development, the mountain range stretching from Turgen in the east to Kaskelen in the west offers conditions to develop resorts with hundreds of kilometers of ski slopes, hiking routes, hotels, and ethno-villages. Both international and local experts agree that infrastructure development should start in locations closest to Almaty, where road and utility networks already exist.
Yerkinbayev highlighted the proximity of the metropolis as a key advantage, noting that the mountains are located just 30 minutes from the city. Almaty already has developed tourism infrastructure, including hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, theaters, and parks, which increases the attractiveness of future resorts.
As part of a comprehensive plan developed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Almaty akimat is implementing a project to connect Medeu, Shymbulak, and Oi-Qaragai with cable cars and ski runs. Construction of a new ski resort is also planned, which will be linked by lifts to Medeu and Shymbulak, and in the future to Butakovka and Kimasar. Expansion of the existing Shymbulak ski area is also envisaged.
The initiative aims to form a cluster with more than 200 km of ski slopes, positioning it as a new international tourism destination.
China and Russia are considered the main target markets. According to international experts, the number of regular ski travelers is estimated at 12.8 million in China and 3.6 million in Russia. Attracting at least 1 million tourists annually, with an average daily spend of $300 and an average stay of three days, could bring nearly $1 billion a year into Kazakhstan’s economy.
Yerkinbayev noted that every dollar of public investment in ski infrastructure attracts around $2 in private investment, including foreign capital. Every dollar spent by tourists on ski passes generates about $5 for the resort economy and up to $15 for the regional economy.
Overall, the projects are expected to create up to 5,000 jobs and serve as a long-term economic driver.
As a systemic response to growing regional competition in Central Asia, the Almaty Superski project is being developed in the central part of the Almaty mountain cluster. The resort will include 60 km of slopes and 16 cable cars with a capacity of more than 10,000 skiers per day. According to international consultants, the resort’s potential is up to 2.4 million skiers and up to 6.4 million hikers annually, totaling 8–9 million visitors per year.
About 70% of the slopes will be green and blue, suitable for beginners, children, and family skiing. More than 70% of the runs will be equipped with artificial snowmaking systems, allowing the season to start earlier and operate regardless of weather conditions.
The project does not involve the withdrawal of land from specially protected natural areas and fully excludes private cottage development. The resort will be located within the Ile-Alatau National Park, covering a total area of 1,000 hectares, with no more than 20 hectares, less than 2% of the territory, allocated for tourism infrastructure.
International partners involved in the project include resort operator PGI, architectural firm Foster + Partners, cableway developer DCSA, slope and snowmaking system designer AD2i, as well as safety and natural risk consultants.
Public hearings are scheduled for April. Construction is expected to begin in the summer, with the resort’s launch planned for December 2028.
In addition, Yerkinbayev proposed introducing elements of ski training into school programs in Almaty, noting that similar initiatives are successfully implemented in Austria, Switzerland, France, and Italy.