From September 7 to 10, 2026, Astana, Almaty, and Bishkek will host official presentations highlighting the tourism potential of Saint Petersburg for industry professionals.
The Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan has launched an international marketing campaign with Expedia Group to promote the destination in key overseas markets.
International publication National Geographic has featured an article by author Gary Shteyngart highlighting Uzbekistan's tourism potential, historic cities, and modern infrastructure.
From October 2 to 31, Bukhara will host the Month of French Culture. Guests can look forward to classical music concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, and digital art projects set against the city's historic backdrop.
Samarkand has hosted the fourth international sports festival, Challenge Samarkand, bringing together over 1,400 participants from more than 40 countries.
The Georgian National Tourism Administration held a presentation for the Uzbekistani travel industry, while Centrum Air announced its winter flight program from Tashkent to Tbilisi.
In September 2026, the frequency of domestic flights in Kazakhstan reached 890 per week. Three new airports are scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
Lake Issyk-Kul in Cholpon-Ata has welcomed its first one-design yacht fleet. The Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan supported preferential customs clearance for sports sailing vessels.
In the first half of 2025, Kyrgyzstan welcomed over 2.8 million international visitors, with tourism tax revenues reaching 160.6 million soms. The National Tourism Development Council has instructed relevant authorities to study the implementation mechanism for a hotel tax.
Kazakhstan's Kaspi.kz app has introduced an eSIM feature covering over 200 countries. Users can customize data packages and pay for international connectivity using Kaspi Gold cards or bonus points.
Kazakhstan flag carrier Air Astana is set to launch scheduled flights to Salalah, Oman's second-largest city, in late October. The weekly services will operate from both Almaty and Astana.
Qatar recorded 2.614 million tourist arrivals in the first nine months of 2026. Growth momentum has moderated due to Middle Eastern tensions and flight safety concerns.
Thai authorities are preparing to launch a tourist entry fee for foreign nationals in early 2027. In the initial phase, the levy will only apply to travelers arriving by air.
Train passengers in Kazakhstan will soon enjoy free access to text messaging services. Currently, over 1,500 carriages are already equipped with Starlink satellite internet.
Kazakhstan plans to equip seven aircraft and 50 key tourism destinations with high-speed internet access while completing the 'West–East' fiber optic line by year-end.
Air Astana is set to launch direct flights from Almaty to Tokyo on November 30, 2026, operating twice weekly to Narita International Airport, according to the airline and reported by Kazinform.
