Visa Free Travel Ignites Cross Border Cultural Tourism Boom Between Xinjiang And Kazakhstan

Published on September 27, 2025

Since nan China-Kazakhstan visa-free statement took effect successful November 2023, separator larboard cities successful northwest China’s Xinjiang region person witnessed a singular surge successful cross-border tourism. The statement allows citizens from some nations to recreation visa-free for up to 30 consecutive days wrong a 180-day period, importantly simplifying recreation procedures and encouraging much predominant visits. This caller easiness of entree has transformed distant destinations, specified arsenic Alakol Lake successful Kazakhstan, into accessible and celebrated tourism hotspots for Xinjiang residents and travelers from crossed China.

Alakol Lake: A Newly Accessible Paradise

Alakol Lake, a scenic destination known for its reservoir swimming and therapeutic mud baths, has go a favored prime for visitors for illustration Tao Qin from nan Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Just a small complete 2 hours by autobus from nan Baktu onshore larboard successful Tacheng city, nan reservoir is now wrong easy scope for Chinese visitors acknowledgment to nan visa-free recreation agreement. Local recreation agencies, specified arsenic Shaanxi Gaoke International Travel Agency’s Tacheng branch, person capitalized connected this liking by offering specialized three-day tours. Wang Long, nan branch manager, shared that during nan caller summertime season, 2 circuit groups were dispatched each 10 days to Alakol Lake, signaling robust request and increasing cross-border tourism activity.

Promoting Bilateral Tourism Exchange

The years 2024 and 2025 person been declared “Year of Kazakhstan Tourism successful China” and “Year of China Tourism successful Kazakhstan,” respectively, further cementing nan tourism push betwixt nan 2 countries. This inaugural has importantly accrued cross-border traveler postulation done Xinjiang’s separator ports, including Alashankou. Popular itineraries attracting increasing bookings see one-day tours to Dostyk, three-day tours to Alakol Lake, and seven-day tours to Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. Almaty unsocial welcomed 54,100 Chinese visitors successful nan first half of 2025, reflecting a year-on-year summation of 33.4%.

Expanding Tourism Partnerships

Kazakh and Chinese recreation agencies are collaborating to create broad cross-border circuit routes and reception services. Nur-Gany Travel Agency successful Kazakhstan and Xinjiang Tacheng Travel Service are jointly crafting programs focusing connected eco-tourism and taste exchange. Kalym-zhanova Nazym, Nur-Gany’s wide manager, noted nan dependable presence of circuit groups from China, while nan Tacheng institution plans to grow its offerings by launching Xinjiang-bound tours for Kazakh visitors arsenic well, promoting reciprocal tourism flows.

New Air Connectivity Fuels Visitor Growth

Supporting nan increasing tourism dynamic, Kazakhstan’s low-cost hose FlyArystan launched a nonstop formation betwixt Almaty and Yining metropolis successful Xinjiang successful May 2025. The hose announced plans to summation its play wave from 2 to 3 flights starting successful October. Enhanced aerial connectivity not only facilitates easier recreation but besides broadens nan scope of tourism speech and economical relationship betwixt nan neighboring regions.

Streamlined Border Facilities Enhance Travel Experience

Xinjiang’s separator ports person responded proactively to rising tourer numbers by improving infrastructure and facilitation services. The Horgos Cross-border Tourism One-Stop Service Centre, operational since August 2025, houses businesses offering recreation agencies, customs declarations, translator services, insurance, and car rentals—all centralizing traveler support successful 1 location. Passenger postulation astatine Horgos larboard topped 1 cardinal by precocious August 2025, representing a 60% summation from nan erstwhile year.

The preamble of AI-powered self-service terminals astatine nan introduction inspection hallway has revolutionized recreation processing. According to migration serviceman Zhang Yongpeng, nan automated strategy captures passport information and verifies autochthonal connection details, reducing introduction registration to conscionable complete 10 seconds, streamlining customs and separator power for nan increasing tourer influx.

Unique Traveler Experiences Enrich Xinjiang’s Appeal

Special liking groups, specified arsenic motorcycle enthusiasts from Poland, Canada, Greece, and different nations, acquisition Xinjiang’s taste and geographic diverseness while journeying crossed Central Asia. One specified group is walking connected a way starting successful Kyrgyzstan done Kazakhstan, ending their expedition successful Urumqi, nan superior of Xinjiang. Participants for illustration Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz from Poland definitive admiration for China’s rich | civilization and history, further endorsing Xinjiang arsenic a captivating destination connected nan world escapade tourism map.

Vibrant Cultural Hospitality successful Xinjiang

Xinjiang’s hospitality assemblage is expanding its services to accommodate and delight this increasing diverseness of world visitors. Entrepreneur Ma Qiang from Yining metropolis operates a homestay, restaurant, and crystal pick shop successful a historical taste district. His constitution has attracted galore overseas visitors intrigued by section architecture and thoroughfare performances featuring younker successful taste costumes engaged successful singing and dancing.

To meet evolving visitant expectations, Ma plans to present multilingual menus and amended his staff’s overseas connection skills. His sentiment that nan historical Liuxing Street belongs not only to Xinjiang aliases China but to nan world reflects nan region’s openness and its aspiration to beryllium a hospitable and culturally rich | hub welcoming world travelers.