Shymkent tourism is a strategic driver of the city's economic development

In 2025, Shymkent's tourism industry has fully consolidated its status as one of the main drivers of the city's socio-economic development. The increase in tourist flows, investment activity, expansion of international ties, and the introduction of digital solutions are shaping the city's stable image as a modern tourist and business center.

Growth of tourist flow and development of hotel infrastructure

According to the results of 11 months of 2025, more than 406 thousand tourists visited the city of Shymkent. The majority of tourists are domestic tourists, while inbound tourism is also showing steady growth. There are 159 hotels and accommodation facilities operating in the city, with a total of more than 4 thousand rooms. The volume of services provided by accommodation facilities exceeded 10 billion tenge, which indicates the high load of hotels and the development of related services.

Investments and new tourism formats

In the next two years, 12 new hotels are planned to open in Shymkent, including the international Hilton brand. Projects aimed at ecological and family recreation are being implemented, including glamping on the Badam reservoir. In addition, special attention is paid to the development of sacred tourism: the territory of the main mausoleums is being landscaped, and a number of historical and cultural sites are planned to be restored.

Routes, service and safety

The city operates 17 tourist routes, including cultural, sacral, environmental, business and industrial destinations. The formats "Shymkent 24 hours", "Shymkent 72 hours", as well as the international route Turkestan - Tashkent - Aksu-Zhabagly - Shymkent are in particular demand. 24 tour operators and 120 travel agencies serve the tourist market.

In order to improve the quality of service and safety, certification of tourist facilities has been introduced and smart sanitary zones have been established. The city has a tourist police force of 25 employees, and SOS emergency buttons have been installed in public places.

Transport accessibility and air transport

In December 2024, a new terminal at Shymkent Airport was put into operation, significantly increasing its capacity. Today, the city is connected by direct flights to 8 cities in 6 countries. These include Xi'an, Shanghai, Urumqi in China, Munich in Germany, Budapest in Hungary, as well as Cairo, Seoul and Baku. This has strengthened Shymkent's role as an important transport hub in southern Kazakhstan.

Event and gastronomic tourism

In 2025, event tourism developed rapidly in the city. The gastronomic festival "DamDasTour", Street Food Fest, international blog tours, kite festival and Drone Show with the participation of 500 drones were held. About 50 thousand spectators gathered at these events. The national holiday of Nauryz and the cuisine of the southern region have become the city's tourist brand.

Digitization and tourist navigation

Modern digital tools for tourism promotion are being introduced in Shymkent. The Visit-shymkent.com tourist portal is operational, 3D routes have been developed, and key facilities have been digitized. QR codes have been installed at the airport, railway station, and bus stations. A calendar of tourist events for 2025 has been prepared in three languages and is being widely promoted on online platforms. Tourist information center kiosks have been opened in the cities of Turkestan, Almaty, Burabay, Ust-Kamenogorsk, and Samarkand.

International cooperation and diplomacy

Since the beginning of 2025, 32 international diplomatic meetings have been held. A roadmap for cooperation for 2025–2028 was signed between the Shymkent city administration and the Embassy of the Republic of France in Kazakhstan. Shymkent Days were organized in Paris, and ambassadors of European Union countries visited the city. Sisterhood relations were established with the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, Honorary Consulates of Kyrgyzstan and France were opened, and memorandums were signed with companies from China, South Korea, Germany, and Hungary.

Comprehensive infrastructure development, international promotion, digitalization, and event activity are shaping a stable tourist image of Shymkent. Tourism is becoming not only an important sector of the city's economy, but also an effective tool for integrating the metropolis into the international space, increasing its investment and cultural attractiveness.