Kazakhstan is actively developing eco-tourism by creating new routes, visitor centers and guest houses, and will host the Regional Environmental Summit in April 2026, QazMonitor reports.
Among the most popular destinations are the Ile-Alatau National Park, Charyn Canyon, Altyn-Emel and Kolsai Lakes.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has already improved about 750 kilometers of турист routes. In the coming years, another 350 kilometers of trails are planned to open, taking into account seasonality, priorities and transport accessibility. Nine key tourist routes are expected to be launched in 2026.
To improve visitor comfort, 15 visitor centers and glamping sites have been opened in national parks, along with designated areas for independent recreation. Visitor centers operate across several regions, including Almaty, Akmola, Almaty, Atyrau, East Kazakhstan, Zhetysu and Mangystau regions.
Since 2021, Kazakh Tourism has organized two-day training programs for residents of rural areas on how to open and manage guest houses. A total of 496 participants from 24 settlements in 10 regions have completed training on business organization, service standards, marketing and available government support measures.
The village of Saty in the Almaty Region is cited as an example of eco-tourism development. The village now has 90 guest houses and 30 hotels – twice as many as in 2019. Most local residents are involved in tourism-related businesses, while the population increased from 1,381 in 2010 to 1,624 in 2020. Saty has received recognition from Lonely Planet, World Rural Tourism Oscar and UNWTO for achievements in tourism.
The Regional Environmental Summit (RES 2026) will take place in Astana in April 2026 and is expected to bring together about 1,500 delegates from Central Asia and other countries. The agenda will focus on climate change, water resource degradation and sustainable natural resource management.