Almaty is stepping up efforts to attract more Japanese travellers, using one of Asia’s biggest tourism exhibitions to promote the Kazakh city as a year-round destination and build stronger links with tour operators, businesses and media organisations.
The Almaty Tourism Department participated in Tourism EXPO Japan 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight, where the city was represented by the Visit Almaty stand in the Central Asia zone.
The four-day exhibition brought together 1,420 exhibitors from 74 countries and 46 regions of Japan and attracted about 180,000 visitors, providing Almaty with a major platform to raise its profile in the Japanese market.
A key part of the programme was Almaty Tourism Day in Japan, a dedicated event for Japanese tourism industry representatives that showcased the city’s attractions and opportunities for inbound travel.
Participants were introduced to Almaty’s main tourism destinations, infrastructure and travel possibilities, while Kazakhstani tour operators presented itineraries covering the city and other parts of Kazakhstan.
The emphasis was on positioning Almaty as more than a short city stop.
Located close to mountainous and natural areas, the city was promoted as a destination combining modern urban infrastructure with outdoor experiences, gastronomy, culture and opportunities for business events.
This mix, tourism officials believe, gives Almaty the potential to attract different segments of the Japanese market and encourage visitors to experience both the city and Kazakhstan’s wider tourism offerings.
Beyond destination promotion, the Tokyo event was also heavily focused on business-to-business engagement.
The business programme brought together 855 buyers and 1,019 seller companies, with 6,454 pre-scheduled meetings taking place during the exhibition.
The Almaty delegation itself conducted more than 150 meetings with representatives of the Japanese and international tourism industries.
Among those it met were Mitsubishi Corporation, Japanese travel company H.I.S., the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Visit Seoul and the Ministry of Tourism of Madagascar, as well as Japanese television and media representatives.
Discussions centred on increasing awareness of Almaty among Japanese travellers, developing ties with tour operators and creating new tourism products and itineraries.
The meetings also provided an opportunity to explore how the destination could gain greater visibility through partnerships with tourism organisations and media companies.
For Almaty, establishing relationships with tour operators is particularly important because they can help translate destination promotion into bookable itineraries and organised travel products.
One of the tangible outcomes of the Tokyo visit was the signing of memoranda of cooperation with Japanese partners.
The agreements are aimed at developing professional contacts and facilitating the exchange of information and expertise. They will also provide a framework for exploring joint tourism initiatives and projects.
The participation in Tourism EXPO Japan comes as Almaty seeks to widen its international tourism network and strengthen its presence in key overseas markets.
Japan represents an opportunity not only because of its sizeable outbound travel market, but also because deeper engagement with its tourism industry could help Almaty develop more specialised products tailored to Japanese travellers.
Tourism EXPO Japan also provided access to a broader international network, allowing the Almaty delegation to engage with destinations and tourism organisations beyond Japan.
Officials see such professional exchanges as important in developing partnerships, understanding market expectations and creating new opportunities for cooperation.
The city’s tourism proposition centres heavily on the contrast between an urban destination and easily accessible nature.
Visitors can experience the infrastructure, dining and cultural attractions of a major city while also using Almaty as a gateway to mountains and surrounding natural areas. This enables tourism products to combine city experiences with outdoor activities rather than requiring travellers to choose between the two.
Almaty is also seeking to strengthen its appeal throughout the year instead of relying on a single tourism season.
PHOTOS: ALMATY TOURISM DEPARTMENT
Business events, culture and gastronomy can complement nature and mountain-based travel, broadening the range of experiences that can be marketed internationally.
The Tokyo exhibition therefore served two purposes: introducing Almaty to potential travellers while, more importantly, building the industry relationships needed to bring more of them to Kazakhstan.
The more than 150 business meetings and new cooperation agreements have expanded the city’s network in Japan and identified potential areas for future collaboration with tour operators, tourism organisations and media companies.
Almaty Tourism Department plans to continue promoting the city in Japan as part of its wider international cooperation strategy.
The next challenge will be turning the contacts made in Tokyo into new itineraries, partnerships and ultimately more Japanese visitors — ensuring that Almaty becomes not simply a destination Japanese travellers have heard about, but one they increasingly choose to visit.
