On June 29, 2023, a grand opening of the Altynemel Visitor Center - a new project of Qazaq National Parks (QNP) of Kazakhstan, implemented with the support of QazaqGeography, was held in the Altyn-Emel State National Nature Park.
The Altynemel Visitor Center became an important new element of the park's infrastructure, serving as the western gateway to Altyn-Emel National Park. This project was a continuation of QazaqGeography's work on organizing visitor centers in Kazakhstan, including Ayusai and Turgensai in Ile-Alatau National Park and Charyn in Charyn National Park.
Yerik Sultanov, Chairman of QazaqGeography, said: "QazaqGeography together with its partners has been carrying out this work on organization of visit centers in Kazakhstan for several years. We assess this work as successful and would like to express our gratitude to our general sponsor, Kaspi Bank. The results exceed all expectations - in the parks, where visit centers were opened, we see a twofold growth of tourists, especially it is noticeable in Ile-Alatau, where the number of tourists reaches 800,000 per year."
Sultanov also noted that the priorities of the project include the creation of recreational infrastructure, including visitor centers, the arrangement of trails, convenient navigation, viewing platforms, gazebos, benches, and toilets. He emphasized that "today it is important to seek funding for the development of other national parks, such as Bayanaul, Kokshetau and Ile-Balkhash reserve. All of these places have high potential to become places of attraction for ecotourists."
Infrastructure development projects for Kazakhstan's national parks are designed to support eco-tourism and make the country's natural reserves accessible and convenient to visit. The opening of the Altynemel Visitor Center is an important step on this path.
