OREANDA-NEWS. June 18, 2014. Astana hosted a meeting of the Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan Marat Igaliyev with the Ambassador of Malaysia to Kazakhstan Dato Hidayat Abdul Hamid.

The parties expressed interest in developing cooperation and attraction of investments in the tourism industry. During the period from 2005 to 2013, foreign direct investment from Malaysia to Kazakhstan's economy amounted to USD 4.7 million. As the Ambassador of Malaysia Dato Hidayat Abdul Hamid noted Malaysia welcomes visa abolition for Malaysian investors by Kazakhstan.

As the Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee Marat Igaliyev, the meeting discussed possibility of joint infrastructure projects through public-private partnership, construction of social orientation and large hotel complexes on the eve of EXPO-2017.

Such Kazakhstan’s international tourism fairs as "Travel and Tourism "KITF" and "Astana Tourism "ASTANA LEISURE" are held annually to popularize the tourist image of Kazakhstan in international tourist market, in particular to establishment and develop partnerships between domestic and foreign tour operators, as well as to expand international relations. National representatives of the tourism industry of Malaysia take an active part in the annual Kazakh tourist events and exhibitions.