Almaty Unveils 2022 Olympic Winter Games Accommodation Plan

With annual growth rates of almost 11% in hotel rooms, Almaty, the old capital of Kazakhstan, is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in Central Asia.

The city attracts visitors from all around the world due to its close proximity to world-class ski resorts, picturesque mountains, newly developed casino and entertainment resorts and Kazakh culture.

In addition, the city continues to benefit from increased tourism through the hosting of major international winter sports events, such as the 2011 Winter Asian Games, as well as many FIS and ISU World Championships. The city has also bid to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Consistent with the growth in its tourism sector, Almaty has developed a robust accommodation plan to meet the needs of its many visitors and quickly growing domestic population. Almaty 2022 has worked closely with the city to ensure that Almaty's bid to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games fits perfectly with the city's long-term objectives.

President of Kazakhstan Tourism Association, Ms Rosa Assanbayeva said, "Tourist arrivals to Almaty have been steadily growing over the past years. Besides housing for the city's growing population, the demand for hotels across all categories is rising. The Almaty 2022 Games Accommodation plan is in line with our long term city development plan."

Importantly, Almaty has secured legally binding guarantees from hotel owners, real estate developers and city authorities for over 31,000 rooms.

Almaty's real accommodation plan includes:

10,580 rooms in dedicated Villages for the Olympic Family;

15,475 rooms in newly built serviced apartments, including IF and NOC serviced apartments; and

5,175 rooms in existing hotels and wellness resorts in all categories, including the 1,000 rooms in the IOC hotels in the Olympic City.

Mayor of Almaty city, Mr Akhmetzhan Yessimov, said, "Almaty's guarantees exceed all IOC requirements. All client groups will find comfortable accommodation in our city across all categories - from 5-star hotels to university residences for low-budget visitors. All rooms are either already built, under construction, planned or guaranteed by individual contracts."

See also: The Ritz-Carlton Almaty - HD Video Interview with GM and Pictures from Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan.