Travel in Kazakhstan

It hasn’t been long since the fantastic sights of Central Asia were hidden behind a barricade of expensive and convoluted visa-application procedures, compounded by a general perception that these were difficult and even dangerous countries in which to travel. In recent years, however, the local authorities have sought to open up to tourists, visas have been simplified – or even abolished – and word is spreading of the rewards of travelling to this relatively unexplored region.

Google said Wednesday that it is releasing new features that share options for traveling in ways that are more environmentally friendly.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, April 17. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Kazakhstan and Iceland have emerged as favored destinations among Chinese tourists, while Thailand continues to struggle with perceptions of safety, according to Dragon Trail International’s latest Chinese consumer sentiment research.

Central Asia encapsulates the romance of the Silk Road.

Outbound travel from China to the Middle East reached pre-pandemic levels during the Chinese New Year period, according to data firm ForwardKeys.

The pan-India premium hotel occupancy is estimated to reach decade highs of 70-72% in the coming fiscal year (2025), according to credit rating agency ICRA. The agency has also estimated that the Indian hotel industry will report revenue growth of 7-9% in 2024-2025. For the financial year ending on March 31, 2024, ICRA is expecting the industry revenue to grow 14-16%. 

Don't be alarmed by the tone of South Korean hits like Parasite and Squid Game: a visit to the capital city isn't synonymous with economic malaise.

Flying with kids can be a stressful experience. But some airlines make the process easier by welcoming families with special comforts and conveniences. While it’s not always a given in the United States, most international airlines still offer early boarding for families with small children. Globally, on long-haul flights, most full-service airlines (versus a low-cost or charter airline) offer bassinets for infants, kids’ meals, and a kid-friendly category on the in-flight entertainment screen—at a minimum. For families looking for the smoothest in-flight experience, we’ve rounded up the airlines that offer the best services and amenities for people traveling with kids.

Utah’s iconic Great Salt Lake is drying up which will have catastrophic consequences if something isn’t done soon, so state officials are taking unprecedented steps to head off what some are calling an environmental disaster on the order of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

On Friday, a fuselage panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane seven minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.

Deluxe Holiday Homes becomes first in UAE to accept Russian MIR Cards, offering seamless payments for Russia’s rising tourist numbers in Dubai.

Located in the heart of Central Asia, Karakalpakstan is the "stan within a stan", an autonomous state of the landlocked Republic of Uzbekistan that borders Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Home to the Indigenous Karakalpak people, the desert province was, until recently, dominated by the Aral Sea – a vast inland lake that has since shrunk to a fraction of its original size.

Though perhaps not as famous or enigmatic as the Nazca lines in southern Peru, the Kazakhstan Steppe geoglyphs or California's Blythe Intaglios, the U.S. has some interesting 20th-century manmade creations meant to be seen from above. They played a key role in flight long before the days of modern navigational software and technology.

Pegasus Airlines launches thrice-weekly flights between Dortmund Airport (DTM) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW).

Turkish Airlines is moving forward with plans to spin off its leisure brand Anadolujet next year as its own airline, AJet.

In the two years before the war in Ukraine, a private Boeing 737 linked to Russian oligarch Vladimir Yevtushenkov criss-crossed the globe, taking in the French Riviera, the Maldives and Seychelles along with world capitals and financial centres.

In June, Matvey Usanov, a 28-year-old financial analyst from St. Petersburg, set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

The 25th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is scheduled for October 16-20 this year in Samarkand. For the first time in history, Uzbekistan will host this important biennial gathering of member states and affiliate members of UNWTO.

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A pair of Lufthansa flights were forced to U-turn to avoid flying over Azerbaijan on Tuesday, as the country's military launched an assault on a breakaway region.

The Royal Thai Government led by Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Srettha Thavisin has announced the temporary tourist visa exemption scheme to passport holders of the People’s Republic of China and Republic of Kazakhstan effective from 25 September 2023 to 29 February 2024, to achieve this year’s tourism revenue target of 2.38 trillion Baht. Chinese and Kazakhstani nationals will be granted a temporary visa exemption for a 30-day stay on tourism purpose in Thailand during the five-month visa exemption period.