(From left) Rapil Zhoshybayev, commissioner, Astana Expo-2017 and Devinder Ohri, president, NATAS
KAZAKHSTAN’s tourism promotion body, Astana Expo-2017, has signed an MoU with the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) to promote Kazakhstan as a travel destination in the Singapore market.
“Singapore is the gateway for South-east Asia and is an important hub. With this MoU, we hope that NATAS will be able to promote Kazakhstan through its outbound travel agents,” said Rapil Zhoshybayev, commissioner of Astana Expo-2017.
Zhoshybayev, who is also a member of the senior management team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, added that on their part, visa requirements for Singaporeans have been waived and plans to launch direct flights between Kazakhstan and Singapore are already in the works.
Kazakhstan has been gaining prominence as a tourism destination in Singapore, and the country’s National Tourism Bureau made its debut at the NATAS Travel Fair just last month.
Agents interviewed during the show stated that Kazakhstan is a draw because of its exotic nature and is one of the few places well-travelled Singaporeans have yet to visit.
NATAS, who will be hosting the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2017 in January next year, will be inviting trade counterparts from Kazakhstan to attend the annual trade show.
