China, India and more: top countries sending tourists to Kazakhstan named
Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan is attracting more and more tourists from different countries. Tengrinews.kz asked the Ministry of Tourism which countries visitors most often came from and which regions were the most popular.
According to the ministry, from January to September 2025, 12.1 million foreign nationals visited Kazakhstan for tourism purposes. This is 730,000 more than last year.
Of these, 8.6 million people spent more than one day in the country — they are classified as foreign tourists.
Hotels and other accommodation facilities were used by about 1 million foreigners. At the same time, domestic tourism is also growing: over the same period, 6.7 million Kazakhstanis stayed in hotels and guest houses.
Which countries tourists came from most often
According to the Border Service of the National Security Committee (NSC), in the first nine months of 2025 more than 12.1 million foreigners entered Kazakhstan — 730,000 more than a year earlier. Interest has grown especially strongly from countries outside the CIS.
Top 5 countries by number of tourists:
China
More than 693,000 Chinese citizens visited Kazakhstan, an increase of 42 percent. Experts link this to the visa-free regime, the launch of new direct flights, and promotion of Kazakhstan on the Chinese tourism market.
India
From January to September, about 113,000 tourists from India came to Kazakhstan. For comparison, a year earlier there were 106,000.
Turkey
More than 103,000 tourists from Turkey visited Kazakhstan. The flow is supported by regular flights as well as business and cultural ties between the two countries.
Germany
In the first nine months of 2025, more than 81,000 German citizens came to Kazakhstan. Tourists are attracted by nature, ethnographic tourism, and historical and cultural sites.
South Korea
The tourist flow increased by 25 percent and exceeded 41,300 people. The reasons include direct flights, the visa-free regime, and interest in Kazakhstan’s nature, culture, and national cuisine.
Where foreign tourists go
Most often, foreign tourists travel to the following destinations:
Almaty and Almaty Region;
Astana and Akmola Region;
Mangystau Region;
Turkestan Region;
East Kazakhstan Region.
According to the eQonaq system, foreign visitors most often stayed in and chose major cities and regions. The top list includes:
Almaty;
Astana;
Atyrau Region;
Almaty Region;
North Kazakhstan Region;
Kostanay Region;
Mangystau Region.