Kazakh tourists began to travel more often and enjoy privileges

In 2022, 7.7 million Kazakhstanis rested abroad — twice as many as in 2021

Moreover, not only quantitative, but also qualitative parameters are growing, such as using the services of tour operators and services for obtaining the most popular services on vacation - from booking a hotel to choosing a guide or restaurant. This also affected a significant increase in the expenses of Kazakhstanis on foreign trips - by 42.9% compared to the previous year. In general, domestic travelers rested outside the country in 2022 for 225.2 billion tenge.

The tourism industry is becoming a leader in the most diverse digital offerings for sophisticated travelers. Pleasant bonuses always attract customers, and thanks to the widespread use of digital payments, a product or service can be ordered or paid anywhere in the world.

Madiyar Sharubekov, Director of Development of Visa card products, told about the advantages available to tourists from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. According to him, today the company offers three types of premium cards: Visa Platinum, Visa Signature and Visa Infinite. Their owners receive a free package of services and services that will make traveling abroad and within the country comfortable.

Discounts and access to the business lounge

According to the forecasts of experts in the tourism industry, in 2023, the indicators of outbound tourism will be even higher according to several criteria: the restoration of business activity and business to the pre—pandemic level, the growth of household incomes, an increase in the number of profitable digital services to provide a variety of services for travelers - from installment tours to impressive cashbacks for using hotel and restaurant chains. In the first quarter of 2023, 1.5 million Kazakhstanis have already gone to rest in the near and far abroad.

A popular platform for citizens of Kazakhstan in recent years remains booking.com . When booking through this platform, Visa Premium card holders can receive up to 10% cashback. Cardholders can also get a 12% discount on accommodation on the Agoda platform.

"In addition to discounts when booking hotels, premium card holders can repeatedly visit any of the 1300 business halls around the world under the Lounge Key program. And for Visa Signature and Visa Infinite cardholders, two types of halls are additionally available: Commercial Important Person (CIP) and Very Important Person (VIP). They can relax or work with high-speed Internet, as well as visit the restaurant with free drinks and snacks. The difference between these halls is that there is a separate passport control and check–in desk there — without queues and long waits," Madiyar Sharubekov said.

As Madiyar noted, in Kazakhstan, you can enter the VIP or CIP lounge at Astana airport. Moreover, in the VIP room, in addition to access to the Internet, TV, drinks and snacks, you can also use a shower cabin.

Business halls are also available in other Central Asian countries. For example, recently a CIP hall appeared at the Tashkent International Airport named after I. Karimov. Also, upon arrival in Tashkent, the owner of the premium card can order a free transfer by business class taxi from the airport to anywhere in the city.

Bishkek Airport also has a VIP lounge, through which you can speed up the process of check-in, customs and passport control. And at the airports of Astana, Almaty and Tashkent, premium card holders can pack their luggage for free.

In addition, in 17 European cities, the Fast Track express check-in service is available to cardholders, the most popular is at Istanbul Airport. In addition to Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka became the most popular destinations for Kazakh tourists in 2022, and this list is constantly expanding. Special offers and convenient Visa services are available in all these countries.

24-hour concierge service and medical insurance

For the convenience of customers, Visa offers round-the-clock concierge service in a popular messenger. The owner of the premium card can send a request and promptly receive a response to it. For example, the concierge can be asked to book a table in a restaurant, form a tour, buy concert tickets or order a taxi in another city – the service staff will select options and send a link for quick payment.

"For example, you want to relax with your family in Milan. With premium Visa cards, you can save as much time as possible on finding information about the work of lounges at the airport, making an appointment for an interesting tour of the city from a trusted company, ordering a taxi from the airport to the hotel and even booking a table in a restaurant for a certain date and time. All this will help to make a concierge service from Visa. He will select the best options according to your request and will send verified information on all points," the Visa representative in Central Asia shared his advice.

In 2022, the concierge service planned more than 1,000 vacations, booked 7,000 tables, bought 2,000 tickets, reminded customers of important dates more than 10,000 times, woke travelers in the morning, and also ordered a taxi and delivery.

To protect yourself from unpleasant situations when traveling abroad, it is important to get medical insurance. You can insure not only your health, but even the delay of the flight and luggage, purchases - from damage, theft or loss. When paying for a flight or accommodation with a premium Visa card, medical insurance begins to operate automatically for cardholders. Such services are available to holders of Visa premium cards in the amount of up to $2.5 million for Visa Infinite cards, up to $750 thousand for Visa Signature cards and up to $500 thousand for Visa Platinum Business or Visa Signature Business cards.

The number of virtual services for tourists around the world is growing from year to year. Some of them allow you to combine the useful with the pleasant — to plan your vacation in advance, while receiving bonuses. If you are a Visa card holder, then you can use services and special offers depending on the card category.