Tourist Flow to Kazakhstan’s National Parks Continues to Grow

Over the past three years, the number of tourists visiting Kazakhstan’s specially protected natural areas (SPNAs) has increased by 1.5 million people. Tourist infrastructure in the country’s national parks is being systematically improved.

According to statistical data, more than 2.4 million people visited SPNAs in 2023, over 2.8 million in 2024, and more than 3.9 million in 2025.

As of January 1 of this year, the total area of specially protected natural areas amounts to 31.1 million hectares, representing 11.4% of the country’s territory.

Kazakhstan’s system of specially protected natural areas includes:

National-level SPNAs:

10 State Nature Reserves;

14 State National Nature Parks;

8 State Nature Reserves (Nature Conservation Areas);

6 State Botanical Gardens;

5 State Protected Zones;

50 State Nature Sanctuaries;

25 State Natural Monuments;

1 State Dendrological Park.

Local-level SPNAs:

4 State Regional Nature Parks;

1 State Dendrological Park;

22 State Nature Sanctuaries;

22 State Natural Monuments.

The national parks currently offer 121 tourist routes and 35 trails. Ongoing efforts are focused on improving existing routes and developing new ones. Work is also underway to modernize and automate park checkpoints.

To familiarize visitors with national park regulations, safety requirements for using tourist routes, and biodiversity conservation awareness initiatives, visitor centers built by private investors are operating in the Ile-Alatau, Charyn, and Altyn-Emel National Parks.

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, together with JSC Zhasyl Damu, is implementing the “Clean Tourism” program. The initiative includes the installation of containers and bins for separate waste collection, information banners, and reverse vending machines (fandomats), as well as the distribution of biodegradable bags to visitors for collecting and removing waste from national park areas.

Environmental campaigns under the “Taza Kazakhstan” initiative are regularly held in national parks with the participation of schoolchildren, students, local residents, and public organizations. In 2025, a total of 874 environmental events were organized, involving more than 283,300 participants.