In a move set to enhance regional tourism and strengthen diplomatic ties, Russia, in collaboration with Caspian Sea shore states, is gearing up to launch the first-ever cruise route along the Caspian Sea during the summer of 2024, as reported by Inform KZ.
This ambitious initiative is part of the “Great Volga Way” project, encompassing visits to all Caspian littoral nations, namely Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Russia.
The Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Dmitry Volvach, revealed that construction is underway at the Astrakhan shipyard “Lotos” for the cruise liner “Peter the Great,” dedicated to offering Russian and international tourists memorable cruises across the Caspian Sea.
Volvach also underscored the burgeoning tourist flow between Russia and Kazakhstan, citing the designation of Almaty as the tourist and cultural capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for 2023-2024.
Expressing Russia’s readiness for active collaboration, he highlighted Kazakhstan’s prominence as the third most popular destination for Russian tourists, following Abkhazia and Turkey. Simultaneously, Russia holds the top spot for the number of tourists visiting Kazakhstan.
Recent years have witnessed a substantial surge in mutual tourist travel between the two nations. In 2022, over 2.4 million Russian citizens visited Kazakhstan, while 1.7 million tourists from Kazakhstan explored Russia. The trend continued in 2023, with over 1.6 million trips from Kazakhstan to Russia and a tourist flow of 2.2 million people from Russia to Kazakhstan.
The collaborative efforts to establish the Eurasian Alliance of mountain resorts will feature prominent destinations such as Russia’s Rosa Khutor, Kazakhstan’s Shymbulak, Uzbekistan’s Amirsoy, and Azerbaijan’s Shahdag. This initiative aims to bolster tourism between Russia, Kazakhstan, and other Caspian Sea nations fostering a deeper connection between the two nations.
