Astana welcomes 1.6mn tourists in 2025, showcases growth at ITB China 2026
Astana has reinforced its position in the Asian tourism market, attracting more than 1.6 million visitors in 2025 - a 7% increase compared to the previous year, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the city mayor’s office.
From 26 to 28 May 2026, Shanghai is hosting ITB China 2026, a major international B2B exhibition, focused on inbound and outbound tourism in the Chinese market.
At the event, Astana is being showcased as a rapidly developing international tourist destination.
The majority of visitors to Astana came from China, Türkiye, Russia, Germany and the United States.
The city currently offers 310 hotels, including international chains, and 2,255 catering establishments, of which 525 are restaurants, according to the National Statistics Bureau. Astana continues to demonstrate sustainable growth in hospitality, improved service quality and the adoption of international standards.
The MICE segment has become a key driver: in 2025, the Kazakh capital hosted around 190 international events with a combined audience of over 150,000 participants, confirming Astana’s position as a regional centre for business tourism.
Leading domestic and international tourism companies are taking part in the exhibition: Air Astana, Luxury Services Kazakhstan, Shef Tour, Beijing Palace Soluxe Hotel Astana, SAAD Hotel Astana, Kazzhol Astana Hotel, EZ Tours, Kontakt Agency, Wyndham Garden, KompasTour Operator и Complete Service Tourism Company.
As part of the business programme, the city’s delegation will hold over 100 B2B meetings with international tour operators, MICE companies and industry partners, aimed to boost tourism and strengthen the capital’s position in the Asian market.
“Astana’s participation in ITB China 2026 is aimed at further strengthening the capital’s international brand as a competitive tourist and business destination in the Asian market,” noted Olzhas Ibraev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Astana Tourism Development Centre.
Earlier, Qazinform published an article about Kazakhstan's Mangistau region, which offers one of the most unusual journeys in Central Asia - from alien-like canyons and sacred underground mosques to giant stone spheres rising from the desert.