AKIPRESS.COM - The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said that his country has a lot to offer to the outside world due to its diverse history as a crossroads between the West and the East and its varied natural beauty, New Europe reports.

"There is a growing demand for visiting original places, participating in historical festivals, and reconstructing important events of bygone days," Tokayev said while speaking at an international tourist forum in Kazakhstan, before adding, “Tourism is a very difficult field. We need to have the right kind experts, so we’ve decided to open a tourism university in order to have qualified personnel who can work in this sector.”

Kazakhstan’s authorities have already set an ambitious goal to increase the number of foreign visitors to the country to 9 million per year, which see the tourism sectors account for 8% of the nation’s GDP if fully implemented.

The government in Nur-Sultan will now look to attract foreign investors to help develop the tourism industry by having them take part in the development of catering and recreation centres, as well as the construction of suitable guest houses and other forms of accommodation around the country.