Representatives of travel agencies from Kazakhstan and China exchange gifts after signing contracts. Photo: Courtesy of the Kazakhstan Embassy in China

The Astana-Beijing 2024 tourism promotional event was held on October 18 in Beijing within the framework of the Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China. At the event, Astana's abundant tourism resources, which attract a large number of tourists annually were on display.

The Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China in 2024 was unveiled in July. China and Kazakhstan will hold a series of splendid activities throughout the year of tourism.

The Kazakh government has set a goal to increase domestic tourist visits to 11 million and foreign tourist visits to 4 million by 2030. Correspondingly, the number of people employed in the tourism industry is expected to reach 800,000 by that time, according to media reports.

The event commenced with welcoming remarks from the Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China, who emphasized the significance of China as one of Kazakhstan's leading tourism markets and partners, given the geographical closeness and deep historical ties between the two nations.

Other diplomats and officials from the tourism sectors of both countries were present. Seven agreements on tourism cooperation were signed at the forum, which became key elements for discussing the prospects of cooperation and the promotion of Kazakhstan's tourism industry in the Chinese market.

Since the beginning of 2024, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Kazakhstan has been steadily increasing, establishing the Central Asian country as a burgeoning popular destination for outbound travel.

During this year's National Day holiday, the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center, located at the bilateral border, also experienced a spike in tourism and shopping activities.