Travel in Kazakhstan

More Indians are taking personal loans to travel and meet vacation-related expenses, according to Madhavan Menon, executive chairman of Thomas Cook India. 

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Economic Agenda — D33 with the ambitious goal of doubling the size of Dubai’s economy over the next decade. With economic targets of $8.7 trillion over the next 10 years, the agenda also aims to establish Dubai’s position among the top three global cities. A key priority of the D33 Agenda is to make Dubai one of the top three international destinations for tourism and business by providing a globally competitive environment for business and driving down the cost of doing business across a number of sectors. The agenda also includes the launch of innovative projects to help make Dubai the world’s best city to live and work in as well as drive sustainable economic growth through innovative approaches. “Dubai will rank as one of the top four global financial centers with an increase in foreign direct investment to over $177 billion over the next decade and an annual $27.2 billion contribution from digital transformation,” the Dubai ruler said.

Central Asian airlines are seizing opportunities from Russia’s closed airspace, with airline traffic into the region booming in the year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, executives and analysts said.

India will invest around $12 billion over the next two years in airports, aircraft and recruitment to meet the booming demand for air travel. The country aims to increase the number of airports from the present 148 to 220 by 2025, for which private builders will contribute roughly $9 billion, with the balance coming from the government-run Airports Authority of India. It entails new terminal construction, greenfield projects, and refurbishment of existing buildings, including old military airfields from the colonial era, as per a Bloomberg report. “We need to put in place the civil aviation infrastructure and capabilities that by 2047 would be able to support a $20 trillion economy within India,” said the country’s civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the ongoing CAPA India Aviation Summit in New Delhi. Scindia said passenger capacity at India’s six major airports is expected to grow to 420 million in four years from 192 million today, and Indian carriers’ fleet will grow to 2,000 aircraft in five years from 700. Additionally, India has eased leasing rules for airlines to lease more aircraft to address aircraft shortages as travel rebounds from the pandemic. He also highlighted how India had tweaked its airplane leasing program to enable airlines to add more aircraft to meet passenger demand, including more “wet leasing,” or renting of planes with crew, for domestic and international routes. Tata Group-owned Air India last month announced a record order for 470 jets and is due to take another 25 leased aircraft.

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman invited U.S. aircraft maker Boeing to ramp up investmentin the country, given India’s flourishing aerospace and civil aviation market. The planemaker had earlier announced that it will invest about $24 million on setting up a logistics center in the country to stock spares for commercial airlines. During an interaction with a delegation from Boeing’s global senior leadership team, the minister underlined India’s focus on repositioning itself as a maintenance, repair and operations hub that can potentially cater to a wide region spanning Europe, Africa and the Far East. Earlier in March, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also highlighted it was time for India to look at manufacturing aerospace products, adding that the aggregate fleet size of domestic carriers is estimated to reach around 2,000 aircraft over the next five to seven years. Sitharaman further emphasized the opportunities available for companies to relocate to India to be a hub for the region. In reference to Indian airlines’ record aircraft order, she informed the delegation about Gujarat International Finance Tech-city banks’ aircraft leasing operations.

Domestic flight searches in India have increased by around 32 percent and international searches by 24 percent for the monsoon season between June and August, according to Kayak’s latest insights. The increased travel interest comes despite a surge in airfares, up an average 8 percent and 11 percent for domestic and international airfares. The average return economy flight price domestically stands at $130 while the average return economy international flight is priced at $985, the report said. 

Middle Eastern carriers are leading the aviation recovery in May with traffic at 17% above 2019 levels, according to a report from International Air Transport Association (IATA). The airlines in the region saw a 31% traffic increase compared to May a year ago. Capacity climbed 25% and the load factor pushed up almost 4 percentage points to 80%. Globally, traffic in May is now at 96% of May 2019 levels.

Editor’s Note: For the latest version of this story, see The World’s Most and Least Expensive Cities, Ranked.

For the many travelers who can’t sleep in flight but also can’t afford an upgrade to the front of the plane, a new economy-class bed/seat design could revolutionize the way they travel. Italy-based seat manufacturer Geven debuted its Piuma Sofa — a concept that would turn economy-class seats into a lie-flat bed — at the Aircraft Interiors Expo last week, reports Flightglobal.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just updated the warning levels for 19 destinations, increasing the advisory levels for some and decreasing the rankings for others.

Central Asia often gets a bad deal – seen as bleak and boring with a cuisine to match. But make the journey to this oft-overlooked part of the continent and you'll be rewarded with striking scenery, surprisingly tasty food and some of the world's friendliest people. Here, we bust the unfairest myths about Central Asia.

Located in Central Asia, hugged by Russia on its northern border and China to the east, Kazakhstan is huge. The ninth-largest country in the world, it has truly diverse landscapes, a gripping history and a culture rich enough to rival any destination worldwide. Here’s everything you need to know before your first trip.

Straddling the cultural crossroads between Europe and Asia, Kazakhstan is an intriguingly cosmopolitan place. This vast country, which stretches from the Caspian Sea to China, is one of Asia’s most diverse, where ethnic Kazakhs and Russians rub shoulders with Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Tatars, Germans and many more in an enviably harmonious mix.

Rwanda is emerging as a top wildlife destination, not least for visitors looking to see gorillas in their natural habitat. The country is home to hundreds of mountain gorillas that move between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the rainforests of the Virunga Mountains. New luxury lodges are opening up in the area, making it easier than ever to get a glimpse of these kings of the jungle.

From ancient temples to hyper-modern skyscrapers, these are just a few of the world's most incredible architectural wonders. Whether you're looking to wander lost ruins or explore lavish palaces, you'll find inspiration here.