A large-scale project to improve areas intended for mass tourist visits is being launched in the Burabay State National Nature Park (SNNP). According to the approved design and estimate documentation, by October 2025 the park plans to build parking zones, observation decks, children's and sports playgrounds, as well as develop walking routes. The project is commissioned by the Presidential Administration.
According to Bes.media, the cost of the project is 802.3 million tenge (excluding VAT). The tender was won by Prof Facade LLP, registered in the Turkistan Region. As noted in the tender documents, the contractor is obliged to use eco-materials and energy-efficient technologies. All work is planned to be completed by 20 October 2025. The advance payment is 30%, and the warranty period is 36 months.
The project includes:
- 4 car parks (near Blue Bay, Okzhetpes Rock, the Abylai Khan Hotel, and Imanayevsky Stream) — each between 180 and 700 sq. m.
- Improvement of Bishy Kayyn Park covering 1.77 hectares: three children's playgrounds, sports areas, bicycle parking, rest areas, lighting, and information stands.
- 9 observation decks with stairs to Maksimka, Ayutas, Tufelka rocks, Bolektau Mountain, and other locations.
It is reported that Prof Facade LLP is a small private enterprise with fewer than 15 employees, which has received 100 government contracts worth 13.5 billion tenge since 2023. The head and founder of the enterprise is Tursinbai Zhaimbetov. In 2024, the company's tax contributions reached 315 million tenge.
Previously, environmentalists repeatedly warned about the consequences of intensive development within the national park. As early as 2023, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Yevgeny Arkhipov stated that tree drying and disruption of water exchange in the coastal zone were caused by construction work.
"The increased flow of tourists and endless construction have disrupted the entire ecosystem. Construction in the coastal zone blocks the waterways that feed the lakes. There is a disruption of the natural balance," he said.
Local eco-activists express similar concerns, believing it is necessary to strictly limit the flow of motor tourists in Burabay.
"It is necessary to prohibit parking in the immediate vicinity of the lakes; instead, remote parking lots should be organised with transport for holidaymakers using electric cars and bicycles. The strictest control over any construction on the territory of Burabay is also needed. Every new cottage or hotel causes irreparable damage to the fragile ecosystem of the park," the statement reads.