NCE RK "Atameken" discussed the readiness of hotels, inns to host tourists and visitors of the international specialized exhibition

As it was noted by the moderator of the meeting, Deputy Chairman of NCE RK "Atameken" Yuliya Yakupbaeva, we need to consider alternative means of accommodation of the guests of the exhibition. An important issue in this situation is mandatory certification of hotels of Astana and mechanism for distribution of tickets for visitors of the exhibition.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry for Investment and Development of Kazakhstan, LLP "Astana Convention Bureau", JSC NC "Astana EXPO-2017", representatives of the hotel market, RCE of Almaty, Karaganda, Akmola region, SKO.

Where will tourists sleep?

Is the capital of Kazakhstan ready to receive guests and visitors of EXPO-2017, will it be able to host and to accommodate all arriving guest to our country?

As it reported by the head of the department of tourist information of LLP "Astana Convention Bureau" Rasul Ilimbaev, Astana city can provide 30 000 beds.

"Akimat conducted monitoring in 2015, and by 2017 it is planned to build 24 additional hotels in Astana – it is about 2500 beds. We also consider the option of accommodation of guests near the exhibition complex. We have a land plot, which has been previously granted to the botanical garden. Unfortunately, there will be no botanical gardens and we are planning to build a caravan city for about 10 000 seats ", - he said.

Ilimbaev added that a new terminal of the airport of Astana has already been constructed. "If today the airport can accept about 270 000 people a month, after the reconstruction the capacity will increase to 540 000 people a month. That is, during the period of the Expo the airport will be able to receive 1 600 000 people for 3 months", - he said.

Almaty is also preparing to host guests, because tourists can visit this metropolis of Kazakhstan. As it was told by the representative of the Kazakhstani Association of Hotels and Restaurants Elnur Zhashimova, the study of the hotel market in the city of Almaty was conducted in September of last year. "Currently, we have 165 hotels, including other accommodations (dormitories and hostels) with total number of rooms - 7111, beds - 11353. We have conducted this study in preparation for the Universiade, but we will orient for Expo ", - she noted.

Member of the Committee of the tourism industry of NCE RK Bauyrzhan Tulepov expressed concern that the summer season is the "high season" for hotels of Astana. At this time, the occupancy rate of hotels is at 80%.

However, according to participants of the meeting, the available number of rooms fully meets the current needs of the south and north capitals. At the same time, they believe, at the time of Expo it is necessary to use the leased premises and the housing under construction.

Coordinator of the Information Resource Center of the Kazakhstani Tourist Association Aigul Isagulova proposes to use the guest houses for tourists, on the example of other countries. "It is only necessary to define standards for guest houses and to work with the market, which will offer their houses, apartments for this period. KTA already has such standards ", - she said.

EXPO - is not only Astana

Tourists can visit reserve cities. It was suggested to consider Karaganda, Kokshetau and Pavlodar.

"Under the reserve cities we mean those cities that have access (bus, rail links). We offer these cities - Karaganda, Pavlodar, Kokshetau. By the Order of the Head of the State, we establish a register (from April 1, 2016 entered into force) of all the subjects involved in preparation for Expo. The register will include reserve cities, and the register will be updated on a regular basis ", - said the representative of JSC NC" Expo-2017" Daniel Serzhanuly.

The participants of the meeting proposed to include those cities in the reserve list, where you can fly form Astana within 1.5 hours.

As it was noted by the Deputy Chairman of NCE RK Yuliya Yakupbaeva, "every first foreign tourist planning to visit Astana during the exhibition, will be interested to visit Almaty. We will consider Shymkent as a backup city, so far the flow of tourists is expanded at the expense of visitors from Uzbekistan and etc. ", - said deputy chairman of NCE RK.

According to her, NCE is working on the inventory of routes, passing along the Silk Road.

"In collaboration with all regional chambers of entrepreneurs we are forming tourist routes, and therefore carry a complete inventory of all routes on the Silk Road. Each region will have its own business card, the entire card, an inventory of all objects to determine where there is a need for catering facilities, or toilets, etc. We are working on all these issues right now, and then we will provide information to Astana - Expo", - said Y.Yakupbaeva.

Book a place at the hotel - via the Internet

Online booking rose serious discussion. "Any nonresident tourists, who is planning to spend a night, will check out availability of rooms, on the basis of data of an Internet resource. It is important to include information in the international booking resources about the licensed accommodation fund of Astana and reserve cities, as well as alternative accommodation ", - said the deputy chairman of NCE.

The representative of JSC NC "Expo" clarified the subject of internet resources regarding reservation of accommodation during the Expo, the website of the Expo will provide the possibility for aggregation with online booking sites. However, as it was explained by Zhanna Prashkevich, representative of the Alliance of restaurateurs, 4 to 6 months are required to ensure availability of information for the search through global search systems, such as Google, Yandex or Yahoo.

In turn, a member of the Committee of the tourism industry NCE RK Laura Galieva noted that "there has been already found an alternative for online booking, which, unlike booking.ru, is not so expensive".

Tickets for the Expo - in June

The representative of JSC NC "Expo-2017" Rada Islyamova told the audience how the tickets for the exhibition will be distributed: "Tickets will be with open and closed dates. Discounts will be provided for pupils, students and pensioners; veterans, disabled persons and children up to 6 years will be granted with free entry. Ticket sales will start in June of this year. Tour operators will get discounts for tickets, depending on the number of purchased tickets.

Head of the office of monitoring and regulation of the tourist market of DTR of MID RK Asylkhan Yesil clarified the question of mandatory certification of hotels in Astana. He said that mandatory certification is not some kind of innovation, and it exists since 2008. "Currently, it’s introduction is dictated by the need, as hotels overestimate their category and a tourist, who booked a 4 star hotel, on arrival can’t get even 2 star service", - he said.

Entrepreneurs noted the need for transparent certification procedures, as well as the need to develop a detailed mechanism. The representative of the Committee of Technical Regulation of MID RK assured that there are already accredited organizations that have the necessary number of experts and auditors, who have the right to carry out certification.

The exhibition - it is a joint responsibility

Summing up the work of the meeting, the Deputy Chairman of NCE said that it is high time "to create standards, to attract all those involved in the organization and holding of the exhibition, to accumulate information on the Internet resources", and therefore she proposed to combine efforts in the ongoing work.

"I think we all need to work in collaboration, to share information about the work done, and I propose to do it on the site of NCE RK", - said Y.Yakupbaeva, referring to all the participants.

In the near future NCE will discuss the issues of logistics, catering, tourist routes, ethnic villages, manufacture and sale of souvenirs, etc.