World Aquatics Swimming World Cup participants explore Astana’s landmarks

International athletes who travelled to Astana for the final of the 2026 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup visited some of the capital’s main attractions, El.kz reports citing the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

The visitors toured the Baiterek Monument, Independence Square, the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Khan Shatyr shopping and entertainment centre. According to the Ministry, the athletes praised the city’s modern architecture, well-maintained public spaces and the hospitality of the people of Kazakhstan.

A total of 300 swimmers from 39 countries are participating in the World Cup final leg. The competition is taking place in Astana from October, 15 to 17.

The Ministry expects that hosting intl sporting events will help attract more international visitors and increase demand for accommodation, transport and guided tour services.

Earlier this year, the Ministry approved a calendar of major tourism events. It is now considering aligning the calendar with the schedule of international sporting competitions to enable tournament participants to attend cultural events and learn more about Kazakhstan.

In 2027, Kazakhstan also plans to host a number of world championships across various sports. The Ministry intends to take these competitions into account when developing the tourism events calendar.

The Astana final of the Swimming World Cup will conclude the international Silk Road Tour series, which previously took place in Baku and Tashkent. The competition is being held at Barys Arena.