DESTINATION REPORT BY TOM NEWCOMBE
expected to see more than two million visitors, and says the country is geographi- cally central for travellers from EMEA and APAC. “There are a number of ambi- tious projects designed to improve the infrastructure such as the new highway between western China and Europe,” Wong says, adding that CWT has seen an increase in bookings of 20 per cent over the past year, and this has included many major firms from pharma, IT and the construction sectors, as well as oil and gas. To help attract more business travel
spend, Kazakhstan is making progress in developing major trading partners in the UK and around the world. In 2013, David Cameron became the first serving British prime minister to visit the oil-rich nation and this year Kazakhstan’s prime minister, Karim Massimov, visited the UK. Trade links were further enhanced this
year with the announcement that the government is introducing 15-day visa- free travel for citizens of 19 countries until 2017, when the scheme will be reviewed. As demand for business travel to Kazakhstan grows, so does the need for infrastructure, especially accommodation. In 2014 there were just under 50,000 rooms – a rise of 13,000 in two years and, accord- ing to Kazakhstan’s tourist board, 73 new hotels will be commissioned over the next three years in Astana. Assel Mamazhanova, chairman of Kazakhstan’s tourism committee, ac- knowledges the need for improvements: “Kazakhstan is a large country and unfortunately the current transportation system and infrastructure is not in a good condition. But it’s something we realise needs to change and plans have started to improve it.” The country’s growing popularity is something Paul East, chief operating officer at Wings Travel Management, be- lieves could affect demand in the future and make managing travel to the area easier. “The route network into Kazakhstan is already developed and will continue to grow as their infrastructure does – we have clients electing for direct and indirect flights to get there. However, in regards to hotels, there’s a wide range but they can be on the expensive side because of demand.”
PUBLIC IMAGE The Ritz-Carlton’s Sowa says despite the boom in development the country still has an “image problem” and that must start to change and visitors need to begin seeing the positive side to
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
Kazakhstan is making progress in developing major trading partners in the UK and around the world
Kazakhstan. “One of the main problems is lack of awareness,” says Sowa. “People still equate Kazakhstan with countries such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Af- ghanistan. But the standard of living and the pace of development here is differ- ent. Kazakh hospitality, like the Kazakh landscape, has no comparison anywhere in the world, and our goal is to tell and show this to the outside world.” The country has a chance to enhance its image over the next few years as it hosts a number of key events, such as Universiade 2017 and Expo 2017.
FUELLING FLIGHTS The country’s national airline, Air Astana, (see review, p123) currently flies three- times weekly from London to the capital and on to Almaty. It also operates direct flights from other major European business destinations, such as Frankfurt and Am- sterdam. Air Astana CEO Peter Foster (see panel, p119) says: “From 2009 and up until the Crimean crisis of last summer, the
airline experienced extremely strong growth – and even with the crisis, there is still growth in the Kazakhstan economy. A lot of that has been fuelled by investments and projects launched by the government to build infrastructure, and generate jobs and investments in what is a difficult period in terms of oil commodity prices.” Air Astana recorded a net profit of US$8.3 million for H1 this year, against a loss of US$36.4 million in the first half of 2014. Passenger numbers for the period were also up by 4 per cent to 1.82 million. Mamazhanova says that improving the airports at Astana and Almaty is “crucial” to increasing business tourism. He adds: “At the moment there is a lot of construction at Astana with the new terminal due to be completed next year, and in Almaty the government is currently tendering for the reconstruction of part of the airport or a completely new one – that decision is still being processed.”
ASTANA AND ALMATY In 1997 the government replaced Almaty with Astana as the country’s capital city – the word meaning “the capital” in Kazakh. It’s a poster child for modern rich-city design, with buildings created by some of the world’s leading architects such as Norman Foster, and Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill. However, the difference between Foster’s
redevelopment of Berlin’s Reichstag and Astana’s Khan Shatyr is pronounced – designed as a ‘lifestyle centre with world-
Above: Oil and gas tanks in Kazakhstan
BBT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 117
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