Management & Tourism, Planning & Construction
Kazakhstan Creates New Ski Region
Kazakhstan is massively driving the development of the central, northern, and western foothills of the Tian Shan into a year-round tourism corridor. The “Almaty Mountain Cluster“ project connects old and new ski resorts in the Ile-Alatau mountains, creating a contiguous area of superlatives, reports Euronews.
On the direct instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the government approved a comprehensive development plan. The goal: The area is to rise to become an international destination with world-class slopes and improved access to the remote landscapes of the Ile-Alatau National Park.
High Demand
Currently, Kazakhstan only has a single resort with top international infrastructure. However, this is reaching its limits: In the past three years, visitor numbers at the country’s most important resort have tripled.
“In the last season alone, we welcomed 1.5 million guests – almost double the planned capacity,” explains Daniel Serjanuly, Deputy Chairman of the Kazakh Tourism Association. The limited trail length and capacity bottlenecks made the expansion unavoidable.
Major Investment Offensive
No fewer than 26 new cable cars are being planned.
A Network of 42 Cable Cars
The core of the expansion is networking: The existing areas of Shymbulak, Pioneer, and Oi-Qaragai will be connected with the Kimasar and Butakovka gorges. For this, authorities plan the construction of 26 new cable cars, bringing the total number to 42.
Future visitors will be able to use all interconnected lifts and slopes with a single ski pass. By the planned completion in 2029, the ski resort is expected to host up to 24,000 guests daily and attract 1.7 million international tourists annually.
Project “Almaty Superski”
Parallel to the networking, the state is developing a new, family-friendly area under the working title “Almaty Superski.” Planned are 17 modern lifts and an additional 60 kilometers of slopes, primarily in the blue and green range, to appeal to beginners and intermediates.
Taken together – the networking of existing areas (approx. 162 km) and the new construction (approx. 60 km) – over 200 kilometers of slopes will be created on five main routes. While the umbrella project is to receive a new name, each resort will retain its own brand identity.
In addition to cable cars, the project includes new hiking trails and service facilities as well as the expansion of existing holiday resorts under strict observance of environmental and safety standards.
Pristine Reservoir
The Big Almaty Lake is located just 30 kilometers from the Kazakh city of the same name: It glows turquoise in summer and ice-blue in winter.
Opening New Horizons
A central aspect of the development is improved accessibility to the Ile-Alatau National Park. The focus here is on the Big Almaty Lake, a high-mountain lake just 30 kilometers outside the city.
To protect the sensitive ecosystem while simultaneously ensuring access, the construction of cable cars is planned in a later project phase. They are intended to bring tourists directly to the body of water, which is considered one of the region’s scenic landmarks.
