Kazakhstan creates new ski region.

A single seamless network of slopes, lifts, and trails: That is the goal in the Kazakh Ile-Alatau mountains. Across five routes and gorges, 26 new cable cars are to be built and 200 kilometers of ski slopes connected.

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.

Currently, Kazakhstan only has a single resort with top international infrastructure: Shymbulak (also Chimbulak). However, this is reaching its limits:

“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.

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.

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.

Uzbekistan: France will support the country in developing winter tourism.

For decades, Uzbekistan was known internationally for Samarkand’s mosaics, Bukhara’s madrasas, and Khiva’s fortress walls. Now, the country aims to attract travelers also with skiing, mountain day trips, and peaceful nature retreats beyond the cities.

To support this shift, Uzbekistan has, among other things, turned to France. In late February 2026, Abdullaziz Akkulov, Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee, met with Valide Fouquet, Ambassador of France to Uzbekistan.

Discussions focused on Uzbekistan’s participation as the Country of Honour at the IFTM Top Resa 2026 trade show, highlighting the platform’s importance for a major PR campaign promoting the country’s tourism potential in Europe, including France.

The two sides also explored the development of mountain regions, modern ski resorts, and winter tourism, as well as France’s expertise in destination management. Interest in winter tourism in Uzbekistan is reflected in the numbers.

According to Euronews, the Amirsoy Ski Resort, located near the capital Tashkent, has seen steady growth. In 2024, Amirsoy welcomed 700,000 visitors, and in 2025 that number exceeded 800,000, with more than 20 percent coming from abroad.

“Most of our international visitors come from Europe – Germany, France, and Switzerland – as well as the United States and neighboring countries,” said Rustamjon Raimjonov, General Director of Amirsoy to Euronews.

The resort features more than 11 ski runs covering 16 kilometers. Daily capacity now exceeds 15,000 visitors, while new infrastructure continues to grow, including a hotel with over 100 rooms built to European standards.

Kyrgyzstan builds Central Asia’s largest ski resort.

Construction is in full swing at Kyrgyzstan’s Ala-Too Resort, which promises 260 kilometers of ski slopes, with over 20 kilometers of cable cars planned in just one of its three resort areas, Jyrgalan. The destination is expected to welcome its first guests this year.

By July, the construction of cable cars and private villas is expected to be completed, with the opening of the first phase – the Jyrgalan resort town – scheduled for December 2026. Next year, three-, four-, and five-star hotels will be built.

Currently, work is underway on drinking water systems, the design of wastewater treatment facilities, and the installation of power lines. Regarding the cable cars, all roller assemblies have been installed on the towers, and construction of the garage complex is in progress.

The Jyrgalan resort is planned to be fully completed by 2028, while the entire Ala-Too Resort project is expected to be finished by 2032. The project spans three mountain peaks in the Issyk-Kul region: Jyrgalan, Ak-Bulak, and Boz-Uchuk.

Eurasian Alliance of Mountain Resorts: Partnership with Grandvalira Andorra.

In Almaty, during the third festival of the Eurasian Alliance of Mountain Resorts, which took place at the end of February 2026, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Alliance and the European resort network Grandvalira Andorra, Almaty.tv reports.

According to the Alliance’s Secretary General, Andrey Kukushkin, expanding the partnership with one of Europe’s leading ski regions opens opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange. It also allows for the implementation of advanced industry solutions.

He noted that cooperation with Grandvalira Andorra will strengthen the Alliance’s international connections and broaden professional dialogue in the development of mountain resorts.

An agreement has been reached under which holders of season ski passes from resorts within the Eurasian Alliance will be entitled to five days of complimentary skiing at resorts operated by the European network Grandvalira Resorts.

Likewise, holders of equivalent season passes from Andorra will be granted several days of free skiing at alliance resorts in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia, according to the National News Agency of Uzbekistan.

Participants in the season pass exchange program will not need to visit ticket offices or wait in line – complimentary access will be provided directly via their existing pass cards.