Tourism professionals from Kazakhstan said on Thursday that they hope to attract more Hong Kong tourists through multi-lingual services, with direct flights between the city and Almaty due to start next year.

As part of the Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China, a roadshow presenting the culture, history and cuisine of Almaty — the largest city in Kazakhstan — was held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thursday evening.

Makpal Abdikadyr, head of Analytics and Strategic Planning with Almaty’s Tourism Department, said Hong Kong tourists are an attractive target for Almaty’s tourism sector due to their high spending power

During the event, Almas Seitakynov, consul general of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Hong Kong and Macao, said that the tourism year of Kazakhstan in China provides an opportunity to promote the culture of Kazakhstan and invite visitors to explore the country.

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He said Hong Kong is one of the target markets for his country’s tourism promotional activities, adding that Hong Kong is a diverse, international city where people from many different nationalities and backgrounds coexist harmoniously.

Makpal Abdikadyr, head of Analytics and Strategic Planning with Almaty’s Tourism Department, said Hong Kong tourists are an attractive target for Almaty’s tourism sector due to their high spending power.

To help foreign tourists, local authorities have set up nine information kiosks throughout Almaty, where employees can provide assistance in English, Abdikadyr said. She added that tourists can seek support at the kiosks, such as information leaflets, hotel booking, taxi hailing, ticketing, and finding phone numbers.

In 2023, extensive hospitality courses were provided to over 200 employees from tourism-related sectors on skills including English, Abdikadyr introduced.

The transport department of Kazakhstan announced that direct flights between Almaty and Hong Kong are expected to launch by 2025.

To showcase the tourism potential of Almaty — which is home to 1. 97 million people — over 25 events will be held in major Chinese cities, including one during Hong Kong’s International Travel Expo in mid-June, she said.

Meetings between Almaty tour operators and their Hong Kong partners as well as demonstration of Almatys cuisine, scenery and culture will also be held in Hong Kong, she added.

Abdikadyr said she believed that the deepened bilateral cooperation between China and Kazakhstan also helps Almaty attract Chinese tourists including those from Hong Kong SAR and establish partnerships with Hong Kong travel companies.

Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country in the world by land area and bordered by China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to the east.

Kazakhstan and China implemented a mutual visa-free policy for tourists in November 2023, enabling travelers from the Chinese mainland to visit Kazakhstan for tourism, business, and medical treatment.

Hong Kong SAR passport holders have been able to visit Kazakhstan visa-free for tourism since 2012.

Kazakhstan and China implemented a mutual visa-free policy for tourists in November 2023, enabling travelers from the Chinese mainland to visit Kazakhstan for tourism, business, and medical treatment

Bayan, who works at a travel agency in Almaty, said at the event that he had noticed an increasing number of Chinese tourists in Kazakhstan, adding that the number of travelers from Hong Kong SAR has grown, too.

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To help Hong Kong tourists overcome the language barrier and better enjoy their vacations in Almaty, local travel agencies have hired tour guides who speak Mandarin and English, Bayan said.

He said he is also expecting direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty to boost arrivals, adding that now Hong Kong travelers can fly to Almaty from some mainland cities, such as Haikou in Hainan province.

As a major cultural and economic hub in Central Asia, Almaty is the former capital of Kazakhstan.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com