The work carried out in the field of tourism and external relations of Shymkent city for eleven months this year and its future plans were presented at the Regional Communications Service. During the event, Sultan Iskakov, Deputy Head of the Shymkent City Department of Tourism, External Relations and Creative Industry Development, provided information on the development of the city's tourism, investment projects, services and work in the direction of international cooperation.
According to him, the number of tourists visiting Shymkent in the first nine months of this year was 406,386 people. Of these, 376,825 were domestic tourists, while 29,561 were foreign tourists. There are currently 159 accommodation facilities in the city. The total number of rooms has reached 4,132, with a single capacity of 8,716 beds. This figure is an increase of 20.8 percent compared to last year. The volume of services provided by accommodation facilities in the first nine months exceeded 10.3 billion tenge, an increase of 24.5 percent compared to last year.
Large-scale projects are being implemented in the city to develop tourism infrastructure and attract investment. It is planned to open 12 hotels in the city between 2024 and 2025, 7 of which were commissioned last year. It was reported that two hotels were opened last year, and three more are planned to be commissioned by the end of the year. In addition, the construction of an international-class Hilton hotel has begun in the city, which is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of next year. The investment volume of the project is expected to be 35 million US dollars, and about 200 new jobs will be created.
The Omir Shymkent glamping project is being implemented on the territory of the Badam reservoir, creating a new recreational and cultural-health space for tourists and city residents. The project includes the construction of glamping and capsule houses, a restaurant, a SPA pool, sports fields and an amphitheater.