Development of tourism industry in Kazakhstan

Pavlodar, January 10, 2009, Khabar – Bayanaul could soon become one of the most popular tourist brands. According to statistics, up to 150 thousand people, mainly Kazakh and Russian, visit the national park annually. Now, the number one task for local authorities and tour operators is to attract travelers from foreign countries. Bayanaul has great potential which is provided by beautiful mountains, pearly lakes, rich flora and fauna, petroglyphs, and the dwelling sites of ancient people.

Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Pavlodar regional governor:
- We have to properly build routes from the perspective of both science and tourism development. It’s necessary to create good conditions for this and make the brand well-recognised. It has to be something more than Bayanaul as we know it today.

A lack of modern infrastructure, a long distance from main arterial traffic routes and low quality of service are only some of the problems which require immediate attention.

Temirbolat Kasen, director, Bayanaul National Nature Park:
- The lakes are being contaminated; this especially applies to Sabyndykol Lake. Many say that the lake is growing turbid. It is all attributed to the human factor. If we use the countryside, we have to contribute to its welfare and clean the lake. It’s necessary to install special cleaning devices.

Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Pavlodar regional governor:
- The country’s president is always speaking of Kazakhstan as not just an industrial zone but as agro-industrial one. And Kazakhstan also has strengths from the tourism perspective. So I think we have to work on the challenges which apply to all the directions and the development of tourism in particular.

The new “Bayanaul” brand will be launched as soon as this summer.