Almaty Tourism Department has concluded three contracts with its subordinate Almaty Tourism Bureau LLP for a total of about KZT 2.7 billion. Of these, KZT 895 million was allocated for the maintenance of the bureau itself. The difference between the allocated sums and the contractors' procurements amounted to KZT 254 million.
WHAT CONTRACTS THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT CONCLUDED
As reported by Hronika.kz, at the beginning of 2026, the Almaty tourism department concluded a contract with Almaty Tourism Bureau LLP worth KZT 1.19 billion to promote the city on the international tourism market. The procurement was conducted by way of a single-source selection.
The contract included online advertising abroad, placement of materials on the platforms Tripadvisor and Expedia, production of souvenir goods, participation in international tourism exhibitions and cooperation with opinion leaders.
The bureau concluded separate contracts with private contractors. Among the suppliers are Open Travel Advisory LLP, VideoStyle LLP, EMD-group LLP and Business Blessing Trust-BBT LLP.
The total value of the listed procurements amounted to about KZT 1.03 billion. The difference from the initial financing, according to the publication's calculations, reached approximately KZT 166 million.
WHAT THE MONEY FOR TOURISM PROMOTION WAS SPENT ON
The second contract, worth KZT 617.4 million, concerned the promotion of the tourism product within Kazakhstan and the development of Almaty's creative industries. It was also concluded by way of a single-source selection.
The works included restoration of the "Қызыл Таң" building, organisation of the qualifying stage of Turkic Game Jam and promotion of city initiatives.
The bureau concluded three contracts with other companies. ENBEK LLP received a contract for the repair of the building worth KZT 491 million, BVT PARTNERS LLP — for holding a hackathon for KZT 17.4 million, and Riten LLP — for marketing events for KZT 21 million.
The total value of these contracts amounted to KZT 529.4 million, which is KZT 88 million less than the allocated financing.
HOW MUCH THE MAINTENANCE OF THE TOURISM BUREAU COSTS
A separate contract worth KZT 895 million provides for the administrative and other expenses of Almaty Tourism Bureau LLP during 2026.
According to the technical specification, the financing includes remuneration of 74 full-time employees, health improvement allowances, training, business trips, maintenance of premises, vehicle rental and household expenses.
Funds are also provided for the operation of tourist information points, membership in the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), as well as access to the analytical platforms Mastercard Tourism Insights and Visa Government Insights Hub.
WHAT QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED
The purpose of the difference between the allocated financing and the value of the contracts with contractors remains unclear. There is also no information on which tasks the 74 bureau employees perform independently. Full information on the distribution of funds and the results of the organisation's work is not presented in the published materials.
Hronika.kz announced its intention to send a journalistic enquiry and separately examine the suppliers that regularly participate in the procurements of the department and the bureau.
