Kazakhstan, Turkey can establish new tourism center in Caspian Sea region - Tokayev

NUR-SULTAN. May 11 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan and Turkey can establish a new Central Asian tourism center in the Caspian Sea region, the Kazakh presidential press service quoted President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as saying.

"The Kazakh coast of the Caspian Sea has huge tourism potential. The Inzhu Marzhan Bay is an ideal spot for building hotels, health resorts and recreation areas. We can establish a new center here by joint efforts to attract tourists to Central Asia," Tokayev said.

The Kazakh president visited Turkey and met with local businessmen.

Turkish companies are making a large input into the development of the Kazakh tourism industry and tourism projects' demand for government funding has been reduced ten times, Tokayev said.

"Turkish businessmen have vast prospects in Kazakhstan, there is no doubt about that. The solid presence of Turkish businesses in our country largely results from the similar mentality and high level of trust between our countries," he said.

Sixty-one projects with a total value exceeding $2 billion have been implemented in Kazakhstan with the participation of Turkish businesses, 25 projects with a total value exceeding $2.5 billion are being prepared, and 54 projects with a total value of over $1.3 billion are being implemented, Tokayev said.