In the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid al Fitr holiday, a global web search system for air travel information data Skyscanner shows that Kazakhstan has become the most popular tourist destination for UAE residents, El.kz reports citing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
According to Skyscanner, the most preferred departure date for UAE residents is April 2, 2024, with more than half of travellers surveyed (51%) choosing to organise trips of a week or less. Kazakhstan is significantly ahead of other popular destinations with a 195% increase in interest.
The full list of desired countries for vacation looks like this. The list also includes an annual increase in searches for April flights.
• Kazakhstan: 195%
• Seychelles: 115%
• Cyprus: 99%
• Japan: 90%
• Vietnam: 81%
• Oman: 78%
• Switzerland: 56%
• Kenya: 53%
• Mauritius: 52%
• Greece: 49%
Skyscanner's travel expert, Ayoub El Mamoun, notes that the choice of Kazakhstan is due to the desire of UAE residents for culturally oriented travel and relaxation during the Eid Al Fitr holiday, which also reflects the effective development of tourism in Kazakhstan.
Data from the eQonaq system of Kazakh Tourism NC JSC confirms the growing interest of tourists from the UAE in Kazakhstan, showing a doubling of the number of visitors from 2963 in 2022 to 6051 tourists in 2023. Among the main destinations in Kazakhstan for tourists from the UAE are the city of Almaty, Astana and the Almaty region.
This growing popularity of Kazakhstan as a tourist destination for UAE residents speaks to the country's significant potential in the field of international tourism, offering a unique combination of natural beauty and cultural richness. After all, the nature and cultural fund of the country year after year arouses unprecedented interest among foreign tourists.
Picturesque mountains, landscapes of lakes and rivers, spiritual sights and the tandem of authentic and modern traditions of the steppe people are becoming the driving force behind the surge in popularity.