OREANDA-NEWS. December 31, 2009. Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, hosted the 18th General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). This was the first time the meeting had been held in the CIS.

Astana is a city of the future with a unique architectural style, young but rapidly developing, modern, and full of great opportunities. In 1999, in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, Astana was awarded the UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize. It is, therefore, not surprising that the capital of Kazakhstan was chosen for the UNWTO meeting.

Astana Leisure takes place once every two years, and is a major international tourism forum. Kazakhstan has set itself the goal of becoming the centre of tourism in Central Asia, and intends to transform the tourism industry into a high-yield sector of the economy. By becoming a member of UNWTO in 1993, and actively participating in various international travel shows, Kazakhstan has cemented its status as a new tourist destination with a distinctive national colour and virgin nature reserves. The government is open for dialogue and business. At the opening of the exhibition, the Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Temirkhan Dosmukhambetov, said: “... we have become the first country in the Eurasian continent to receive such important guests and leaders of the tourism industry from around the world, and we are confident that this event will be a powerful impetus for the development of the tourism industry in Kazakhstan.”

Over the four days of the exhibition, senior figures in the tourism industry discussed the results of and prospects for the development of the industry in light of global challenges, such as the general downturn in the economy and climate change. 360 delegates, most high-ranking tourism officials (80 ministers of tourism) and heads of major tourist organisations, from 112 countries gathered in Astana. President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev opened the exhibition.

In this regard, the importance of Astana Leisure 2009, the 6th Kazakhstan International Tourism Exhibition, a visit to which was included in the programme of the Assembly, can scarcely be overestimated.

At this year's exhibition, more than 60 tourism industry players announced all the new services and products that they had prepared for the coming autumn-winter season. The countries represented included: Azerbaijan, Brazil, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Peru, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Switzerland and South Africa. 38% of exhibitors signed contracts during the exhibition.

For the first time, Astana Leisure was held in a new venue, the recently built Korme Exhbition Centre, which meets all the international standards for holding expo events.

The organisers – the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kazakhstani exhibition company Iteca – gave special attention to the development of domestic tourism. Kazakhstani regions occupied an important place at the exhibition: hotels, motels and health resorts were presented at the stands of regional Akimats and the administrations of Astana and Almaty. Visitors were able to make a virtual journey to the majestic mountainsides of Zailiysky Alatau, the blue lakes region, the Great Steppe, the Saka burial mounds, the “singing” sand dunes and the architectural monuments of the Middle Ages.

The sectors of the exhibition included: regional tourism organisations; tour operators and travel agencies; airlines and air agencies; hotels, motels and health resorts; ticket reservation and sales; transport agencies; trade associations and organisations; information technology in tourism; and ecotourism.

In the past year, domestic tourism in Kazakhstan increased by 8.2% to 4.2 million people. Kazakhstani tourists continue to travel to other countries: outbound tourism increased by 15%.

Market players say that there is now an understanding that new customer approaches and compromises are needed, and that this is a time for civilised business based on professionalism.

56% of exhibitors plan to take part in Astana Leisure 2010. Next year, KITF 2010, the 10th Kazakhstan International Travel and Tourism Fair, will open the season of tourism exhibitions. It will be held in Almaty on 21-23 April. Astana Leisure 2010 will take place on 28-30 September.