In the last three years, more than 5,500 children have had the opportunity to travel for free within Kazakhstan through the "Kids go Free" program, which offers family travel packages. Kazakhstani tour operators have implemented tours worth over 1.2 billion tenge in this area.
The most popular destination for the «Kids go Free» program remains the shore of Lake Alakol. This year, the number of tours sold has increased by 20% compared to the previous year. Over 700 children have been able to travel to Alakol for free.
Interest in the surroundings of Almaty and the Almaty region has grown by 24% compared to last year, with over 330 families choosing this destination. The total reimbursement for children's flight tickets amounted to 41.6 million tenge, while tours were sold for 135.3 million tenge.
The third most popular destination under the «Kids go Free» program has become the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort zone and the city of Astana. There is a high demand during the summer and winter holiday periods.
«Kazakh Tourism has been running the «Kids go Free» program since 2022, aimed at developing organized domestic tourism. The number of children traveling with their parents around Kazakhstan is increasing every year. Over three years, Kazakhstani families saved 280 million tenge, while local tour companies sold tours worth a total of 1,246 million tenge. The government’s subsidy for children's flights encourages parents to invest in domestic vacations. It can be said that every tenge invested by the state generates an additional 4 tenge in the country's economy», - said Kazakh Tourism Chairman, Kairat Sadvakassov.
This year, 2,172 children took advantage of free flights for travel within Kazakhstan. Tour operators sold tours worth 415.6 million tenge, excluding the cost of children's flight tickets. The total reimbursement from the government amounted to 114.5 million tenge, which accounts for 28% of the total value of the tours sold.
«This year, we have created tours under the «Kids go Free» program for the first time. 100 children benefited from our travel package and received free flight tickets. This program is a significant help for Kazakhstani families with multiple children. It also allows local accommodations (hotels, sanatoriums, resorts, etc.) to increase occupancy and fill more rooms», - said Zarina Ordabaeva, head of «Ozen Touristik» LLP.
