Kazakhstan
country profile
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July 2025
Kazakhstan represents an increasingly important market for Azerbaijan’s tourism sector. In 2024, Kazakhstan remained one of the top countries traveling to Azerbaijan. Kazakh travellers are drawn to Azerbaijan’s diverse landscapes, including its beaches, mountains, and rural areas. They also appreciate the country’s cultural richness, including its heritage sites, festivals, and unique architectural landmarks. Health and wellness tourism is one of the top priorities for Kazakh travellers, making Azerbaijan an attractive destination due to its renowned wellness resorts, thermal spas, and modern medical tourism facilities.
Azerbaijan’s growing appeal for Kazakh tourists is supported by strong connections in business, culture, and regional cooperation, as well as a shared interest in gastronomy, wellness, and leisure activities. Additionally, Azerbaijan offers convenient travel options, making it an attractive destination for short trips and long vacations alike.
June - August – summer holidays, the longest travel period
End of March and early April – Nowruz celebrations and Ramadan
May 1-11 – extended May holidays
October 25 – November 5 – Republic Day and autumn school break
December - early January – Independence Day, winter holidays, New Year Celebrations and Christmas
Kazakh tourists are predominantly aged between 26 and 40, with the 26-35 age group being the most active travellers. In 2023, individuals aged 25-34 accounted for 260,804 outbound trips, while those aged 55-64 made 111,518 trips. This trend indicates that younger adults are the primary demographic engaging in both domestic and international tourism in Kazakhstan.
Sun and beach holidays: Popular destinations include Türkiye (Antalya), Thailand (Phuket), and Egypt (Sharm El-Sheikh).
Wellness and medical tourism: Special interest in medical procedures and spa treatments. They mostly focus on physical, mental, and emotional health. This often includes spas, wellness retreats, and yoga centres.
Luxury tourism: Features luxury hotels, high-end shopping, and fine dining options in Baku and Gabala.
Nature and outdoor: Kazakhs enjoy outdoor activities. They like hiking, camping, and skiing in winter resorts (for example, Shymbulak or Medeo). Nature lovers tend to seek destinations with scenic landscapes, mountains, lakes, and national parks.
Adventure and extreme sports: There's an increasing interest in extreme sports such as paragliding, trekking, or even hunting trips. This is growing in popularity, especially among younger travellers.
Events and festivals: High interest in musical festivals (especially for singers and groups from EU and USA), sport events etc.
Language: Since Russian is widely spoken in Kazakhstan, many Kazakh tourists prefer destinations where Russian is understood or commonly spoken.
Cultural and historical connections: Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan share a heritage shaped by Turkic traditions, Islamic culture, and a similar history, fostering strong connections and mutual understanding.
Nearby destinations: Many Kazakh tourists prefer travelling to nearby countries due to geographical proximity and ease of travel.
Quality ski slopes for winter sports and attractive beaches for summer vacations.
Safety concerns: Kazakh tourists generally prefer destinations with a good reputation for safety and a stable political climate. This ensures that they feel comfortable and secure during their travels.
Family-friendly options: Kazakhstan has a strong family-oriented culture, so destinations with family-friendly amenities and activities are often preferred by Kazakh tourists travelling with children.
In 2024, Kazakh tourists spent on average $1,200 per person per foreign holiday.
Families
Couples
Friends’ groups
Social media and search engines: YouTube (22.8%), Facebook (20.3%), Twitter (17.5%), Pinterest (11.8%), Instagram (11.8%), and Reddit (8.7%)
Friends’ recommendations (Word of Mouth)
Travel agencies
Online travel agencies
TV programs (Kazakhstan TV, Khabar TV, Astana TV)
Radio (Qazaq Radio, Radio Astana)
Newspaper (Egemen Qazaqstan - the leading Kazakh-language newspaper, Kazinform- online)
Kazakhstani tourists, particularly younger audience, often book trips at the last minute. Short-term tours, including weekend trips, are also highly popular. They are increasingly opting for tours focused on health and wellness, aimed at relaxation and rejuvenation.
However, the Kazakhstanis who travel via operators purchase the packages 2 months prior to the travel time.
Travel agencies
Online bookings
Direct bookings with accommodation providers
Most visited online platforms: booking.com, aviasales.kz, tripadvisor.ru, tickets.kz, tutu.ru, aviasales.ru, qui-quo.ru, ht.kz, tourvisor.ru, flypgs.com, and kompastour.kz
Specialized tour operators (active sports, MICE, Health & Wellness, golf)
In 2024, the average duration of the main vacation among Kazakhstanis was around 5-7 days.
Kompas Kazakhstan
Tez Tour Kazakhstan
Travelland.kz
Turan Asia
SAYAKHAT
Kazunion
Pegas Touristik
Anex Tour
Kompas Tour
Fun&Sun
Selfie travel
Join UP
Azerbaijan Airlines (azal.az), Baku - Astana, four flights per week
FlyArystan (flyarystan.com), Astana - Baku, twice per week
Azerbaijan Airlines (azal.az), Baku - Almaty, four times per week
Air Astana (airastana.com), Almaty – Baku, twice per week
SCAT Airlines (scat.kz), Almaty - Baku, five times per week
FlyArystan (flyarystan.com), Aktau - Baku, three times per week
Azerbaijan Airlines (azal.az), Baku - Aktau, six times per week
Azerbaijan Airlines (azal.az), Baku - Atyrau, twice per week
Air Astana (airastana.com), Atyrau- Baku, three times per week
Kazakhstan International Exhibition (KITF), annual
Luxury Travel Market (LTM), twice per year
61% of Kazakhstani visitors to Azerbaijan travel for leisure and entertainment purposes, 17% visit friends and relatives, and 14% for business purposes.
The average Kazakhstan tourist spends 1,647 AZN in Azerbaijan, with 43% of their budget allocated to transport, followed by accommodation (22%), and food (19%).
In 2024, 45% of Kazakhstanis stayed in Azerbaijan for 1-3 nights, while 30% stayed for 4-7 nights.
The most visited regions by Kazakhstanis in Azerbaijan are Guba, Gusar, Gabala, Ganja, and Naftalan.
Kazakhstani tourists visiting Azerbaijan exhibit a strong preference for a variety of cultural and historical experiences, encompassing architectural landmarks, nature tourism, culinary delights and wine, festivals and events.
Monument and historical buildings
Baku’s Old Buildings
Shirvanshahs’ Palace
Ateshgah Temple
Gobustan Reserve
Mud Volcanoes
Yanardag Reserve
Khinalig Reserve
Sheki Khan Palace
Museums and galleries
Heydar Aliyev Centre
Carpet Museum
Ali Shamsi Studio
Miniature Book Museum
Festivals and events tourism
Formula 1
Dream Fest
Concerts
Sport events
Cultural and culinary experiences
Visiting local bazaars
Culinary centres
Sheki pakhlava shops
Lankaran Citrus Valley
Black caviar tours
Gastro tours (incl. Slow Food in North-West Regions)
Wine tours in Meyseri, Savalan, Chabiant and Khan Winery
Medical tourism
Naftalan
Duzdag
Lankaran
Galaalti
Gabala (Chenot Palace)
Beaches
Sea Breeze Resort
Amburan Beach Club
The Crescent Beach Hotel
Mardakan
Pirshagi
Zugulba
Bilgah
Travel abroad is becoming increasingly popular among Kazakh tourists, with a growing number opting for Southeast Asian destinations. China has emerged as a top choice, with expected outbound tourism growing by 300%, followed by Vietnam with a 200% increase and Qatar with 160% by the end of the year. By tradition, Türkiye, Egypt, UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Georgia, the Maldives, Qatar, and Sri Lanka remain the most popular destinations for Kazakh tourists.
Short city breaks/ weekend trips to Baku and regional cities are promoted for the high-end segment from major cities such as Almaty and Astana. Cooperation with leading tour operators based in these cities is preferable.
Long-term travel to regional cities and Baku for the middle-end segment from secondary cities, such as Shymkent, Atyrau, Aktobe, and others. Cooperation with local travel agencies in these regions is preferred.
Implementation of marketing strategy for the Kazakhstan market can be realized by focusing on high-end and middle-end traveller segments targeted upon on geographic focus.
Currently, Baku is becoming an increasingly popular stopover destination for Kazakhstani travellers on their way to Europe, with typical stopover durations ranging from 2 to 3 days.
The MICE potential of Azerbaijan can be promoted through appropriate marketing channels, tapping into Kazakhstani interest in business tourism and events.
Gunel Alakbarova, Head of CIS and Asia region unit