The Tourism Industry Committee has released a decree approving the "Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Mangistau Tourist Zone for 2025-2029." The document will be available for public discussion on the "Open NPA" portal until February 10, 2025, reports a correspondent from the business information center Kapital.kz.
The plan includes a total of 156 activities with a budget of 517 billion 943 million tenge. From the local budget, 37 billion 644 million tenge is allocated for project implementation, while 204 billion 299 million tenge will come from the republican budget, and 276 billion tenge is expected to be raised from other funding sources.
For instance, to promote "sustainable tourism" in the region, they plan to launch preferential lending for small and medium-sized businesses through the Caspian Development Fund. In 2026-2029, the program will allocate 500 million tenge annually.
According to the plan, by 2027, a multifunctional hotel and tourist complex, a golf club, and a golf hotel with villas will be established near the "Warm Beach" in Aktau. The investment for this project will amount to 94 billion 300 million tenge. In 2028, the Bozjyra Safari hotel complex is set to be operational in the Karakiyansk district, with an investment of 15 billion tenge for its construction. In 2029, the Ayrakty Safari Hotel will be built in the Mangistau district, with an investment of 3 billion 500 million tenge. Additionally, a wellness resort complex costing 9 billion 900 million tenge will be established in Aktau that same year.
Moreover, a Wyndham Garden Aktau 4* hotel complex will be constructed for 2 billion 400 million tenge, Omir Apartments for 300 million tenge, Aqualina Resort for 12 billion tenge, and Town Center for 36 billion tenge.
Plans also include developing design and specifications for improving walking paths and observation points in the Bozjyra and Tamshaly areas. For these purposes, the local budget will allocate 35 million tenge and 15 million tenge respectively, while 1 billion tenge and 300 million tenge will be directed towards the enhancement of these areas.
In total, the second point of the plan, "Attracting Investments and Implementing Investment Projects," includes 19 projects with a budget of 202 billion 740 million tenge. The local budget will contribute 1 billion 440 million tenge; the republican budget will provide 2 billion 500 million tenge; and other sources are expected to contribute 198 billion 800 million tenge.
To boost tourism, new subsidized domestic flights are planned on the following routes: Aktau-Ust-Kamenogorsk, Aktau-Karaganda, Aktau-Kostanay, Aktau-Atyrau, Aktau-Uralsk, and Aktau-Aktobe. They intend to launch at least 3 international charter flights annually. The plans also include the reconstruction of the railway station, launching a regional program to enhance the quality of services similar to the "Quality Mark," and creating 3D virtual tours of the "Underground Mosques of Mangistau." Additionally, a documentary film about the renowned educator "Beket Ata" is planned, with 20 million tenge allocated from the local budget for its production.
The region will host the international music festival "We Are Children of the Sun," featuring participation from Caspian countries and various competitions, including Ocenman. At the same time, a marketing campaign will be launched to promote Aktau among Iranian audiences, with 104 million tenge set aside from the local budget for its implementation.
The plan states that for the development of the Kenderli resort area, 38 projects will be implemented with a budget of 201 billion 424 million tenge. The local budget will allocate 14 billion 639 million tenge for these purposes, while the republican budget will contribute 134 billion 485 million tenge, and 52 billion 300 million tenge will be raised from other sources.
The committee anticipates that the implementation of the plan will allow for an increase in:
- the number of domestic tourists from 430,000 to 520,000: 2025 – 430,000; 2026 – 460,000; 2027 – 480,000; 2028 – 500,000; 2029 – 520,000;
- the number of inbound tourists from 89,000 to 143,000: 2025 – 89,000; 2026 – 100,000; 2027 – 107,000; 2028 – 125,000; 2029 – 143,000;
- the number of people employed in the tourism sector from 1,700 to 2,100: 2025 – 1,753; 2026 – 1,810; 2027 – 1,850; 2028 – 1,913; 2029 – 2,089;
- the share of tourism in the region's economy from 2.2% to 3.6%: 2025 – 0.2%; 2026 – 0.2%; 2027 – 0.3%; 2028 – 0.3%; 2029 – 0.3%.
At an expanded government meeting, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that attractive tourist destinations exist in every region of the country.
"Foreign and domestic tourists want to visit unique reserves, so it is urgent to build the necessary infrastructure, including attracting private investors. We must not yield to those who oppose any measures to enhance the investment potential of the tourism sector, as happened with the famous Bozjyra area in the Mangistau region," said the president.
Previously, the famous singer Dimash Kudaibergen announced his readiness to contribute to the promotion of the region's tourist attractions.