When the skies close: Kazakhstan’s approach to protecting citizens abroad

Before 2016, Kazakhstan’s outbound tourism sector occasionally faced difficult situations when citizens found themselves abroad without accommodation or return tickets due to the actions of certain tour operators. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of such incidents increased significantly from 450 affected travelers to more than 7,400. These situations created serious challenges for citizens and undermined confidence in the outbound tourism market. In response, the government introduced a systemic solution. In 2016, the Government of Kazakhstan established the Tourist Rights Guarantee System, a mechanism designed to protect citizens traveling abroad as part of organized tourism. The system is administered by the Turistik Kamkor Corporate Fund. The initiative introduced an institutional model that is unique in Central Asia and broadly aligned with approaches used in several European countries to safeguard travelers.

Since its introduction, the system has effectively prevented situations in which Kazakh tourists are left abroad due to tour operator failures. Today, the mechanism provides safeguards not only in cases of tour operator bankruptcy but also in broader emergency or crisis situations that may affect international travel. Over the years, the system has demonstrated its effectiveness, incorporating preventive risk management and coordination between public authorities and industry participants.

Since its launch, the fund has supported the return of approximately 18,000 citizens, including during some of the most challenging periods for international tourism. The recent situation in the Middle East has once again illustrated the importance of such mechanisms. Following the temporary closure of airspace in parts of the region, Kazakh tourists, like many other international travelers found themselves waiting for opportunities to return home. Through coordinated efforts by government agencies, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, support for citizens was organized promptly. In parallel, the guarantee system ensured accommodation, meals and transfers to departure cities for more than 4,000 Kazakh citizens who were in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

“It is important to note that even when the system is not directly responsible for emergency evacuation, as was the case during the recent developments in the Middle East, we seek to support the efforts of government authorities wherever possible. Although force majeure situations do not formally fall under standard refund regulations, taking into account the circumstances faced by our citizens abroad, a decision was made to cover certain expenses incurred by tourists while they were waiting for flights home,” said Asylkhan Yessilov, Director of the Turistik Kamkor Fund and one of the founders of the guarantee system.

According to Yessilov, such situations once again underline the importance of having reliable mechanisms in place to protect travelers.

“Over the past several years, outbound tourism in Kazakhstan has undergone significant transformation. The sector has gradually moved away from a high-risk environment and evolved into a more structured system where responsibilities are clearly shared between the state and market participants. Today, the Turistik Kamkor Fund not only fulfills its original administrative role but also serves as a platform that brings together industry stakeholders and contributes to building a more resilient model for outbound tourism,” he noted.

One of the defining features of Kazakhstan’s approach is that the system operates on the principle of collective responsibility within the industry. Its financing is provided by market participants themselves, including 13 charter tour operators, 45 operators working with scheduled flights and around 1,000 partner travel agencies across the country.

To ensure direct communication with travelers, a 24-hour hotline operates alongside the TURKOD mobile application. Through the app, tourists can verify whether their trip is covered by the guarantee system, request assistance from anywhere in the world, access information about reliable travel agencies and provide feedback on services. Recent events have shown that the resilience of tourism infrastructure is becoming an increasingly important element of citizen protection in an interconnected world. Kazakhstan’s experience suggests that well-designed institutional mechanisms can remain effective even during periods of international uncertainty. When global crises disrupt travel and close the skies, the presence of a reliable protection system helps ensure something essential: citizens can remain confident that support and a safe return home will be provided.