Astana hosted the business forum “Kazakhstan–Azerbaijan: Economic Cooperation in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Initiatives,” El.kz reports.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the event brought together representatives of government agencies and the business communities of both countries.

Nurtas Karipbayev, Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports emphasized that “the Caspian Sea is no longer a border — it is becoming a shared tourism space that unites culture, nature, and innovation.”

The main idea of the forum is to develop unified tourist routes between the two countries. Experts plan to integrate eco-tourism, cultural and educational travel, gastronomy, wellness and medical tours, as well as event tourism — creating a comprehensive offering for travelers.

Digitalization of the industry was one of the key topics. Kazakhstan has already introduced a virtual tourist card, and in the future, the two countries may create a unified digital Caspian tourism space using artificial intelligence technologies to forecast demand, manage tourist flows, and account for seasonality.

As part of the forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between AZPROMO (Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency), Kazakhstan’s Alakol Medical Tourism LLP, and the Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund JSC. The document outlines new steps to expand bilateral cooperation in tourism and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.