Half million tourists visited Astana year-to-date

ASTANA. KAZINFORM All directions of tourism, including medical tourism are growing rapidly in Astana, the official website of the Astana administration reads.

The capital city's tourism potential has significantly increased. More than 500,000 people visited Astana since the beginning of the year, Astana Convention Bureau said.

"Annual large conferences, exhibitions, cultural and sports events contributed to rampant development and promotion of the city brand. Today's Astana is positioned as a centre for the most important dialogue platforms to have global issues of Central Asia settled. Currently Astana has all chances to become one of the key tourist directions in Central Asia and the work in the future," chief manager of marketing department at Astana Convention Bureau Aigerim Beisembayeva said.

There are about 130 potential locations for holding various events. One of the facilities built for EXPO 2017, Nur Alem pavilion, has turned into a place of interest attracting tourist from around the world.

Astana has potential to become one of the first destinations for medical tourism in the former USSR. Lots of specialized clinics, high-quality experts, who studied at the leading universities of the world lay groundwork for competing both at regional and world markets.

The capital of Kazakhstan awarded the title City of Peace. It is the third city of the former Soviet Union to join the World Tourism Cities Federation.