Kazakhstan takes a significant stride in international tourism promotion with the opening of its first-ever international office in India. Kairat Sadvakassov, Chairman Kazakh National Tourism JSC, inaugurated the office at an event at SAATE on Thursday.
At the event, Kairat Sadvakassov appointed Prashant Chaudhary, the head of Salvia Promoters, as the official representative for Kazakh Tourism in the Indian market.
Salvia Promoters, known for its expertise in promoting Central Asian and Russian markets, received a certificate of representation from Sadvakassov. With years of experience in visa center operations and market promotion, Salvia Promoters said it is set to elevate Kazakhstan’s tourism profile in India.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Kairat Sadvakassov highlighted the strategic importance of tapping into India’s booming outbound tourism market. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s diverse attractions, visa-free travel for Indian passport holders, and convenient flight options connecting major Indian cities to Almaty, making Kazakhstan an attractive short-haul destination.
Talking to ETTravelWorld, Sadvajassov spoke about prospect of increasing flight connectivity to Kazakhstan going forward. “We have two airline currently flying double daily flights to Almaty. However, we feel that that capacity will not be enough, shall we start promoting the destination heavily. So, we will be working with the National Civil Aviation Authority and local airlines to see the network and the frequency can be expanded. But most importantly, there is a visa free regime and India has been on the Visa Waiver Program, so it should definitely boost the visitor numbers,” he added.
Chaudhary on the occasion echoed the sentiment, expressing his honour to represent Kazakhstan’s tourism offerings. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s status as the world’s largest landlocked country, boasting diverse landscapes, vibrant city life, and rich archaeological heritage. Chaudhary underscored the untapped potential of Kazakhstan in attracting Indian tourists, projecting a substantial influx of visitors in the coming years.
Highlighting the surge in Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka, the events celebrated the doubling of Indian visitors from 13,759 in January of the previous year to 34,399 in January 2024. This exponential growth was attributed to enhanced connectivity between the two countries, with 95 flights connecting Sri Lanka to nine Indian cities, ensuring seamless travel experiences and smooth transactions facilitated by India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
The collaboration between Kazakh Tourism and Salvia Promoters aims to attract tourist groups from India to Kazakhstan while effectively representing Kazakh Tourism’s interests in the Indian market. Chaudhary, with over two decades of experience in territory promotion and marketing, brings valuable expertise to the partnership.Chaudhary anticipates Kazakhstan hosting up to 500,000 Indian tourists annually by the same year, underscoring the vast potential for bilateral tourism cooperation between the two nations
“Using our expertise, we are planning to make Kazakhstan one of the preferred destinations in the Indian market. So last year around 100,000 Indian visitors travelled to Kazakhstan. So this year we have a target to double the number by end of this year. Almaty is a popular destination among Indian travellers, and now we want to make Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which is also a historical city popular among Indians. We have plans to participate in other exhibitions, organise roadshows pan India and organise press trips going forward,” Chaudhary said during a conversation with ETTravelWorld.
