Kazakhstan to Monitor Tourist Flow Using Mobile Data — A First for The CIS

For the first time, Kazakhstan will use anonymized mobile operator data to track tourist flows for official statistics, Orda.kz reports, citing the Ministry of Tourism.

The Bureau of National Statistics has launched a pilot project based on data from 2024.

Minister of Tourism and Sports, Yerbol Myrzabosynov, stated that digital tracking will provide a clearer picture of the tourism landscape in Kazakhstan, and serve as a foundation for attracting investment, improving service quality, and planning infrastructure.

Using anonymized data from telecom operators for statistical tracking will enable us to build a system for strategic planning in the tourism sector. Specifically, we’ll be able to assess the need for sanitation facilities, determine actual pressure on resort areas, plan infrastructure development, and evaluate regional investment potential,  the minister said during a meeting with the leadership of the Bureau of National Statistics.

The data will allow short-term tourist visits without overnight stays to be counted, making overall tourism statistics more accurate.

According to Maksat Turlubayev, head of the National Statistics Bureau, Kazakhstan is the first country in the CIS to incorporate mobile operator data into official tourism statistics.

Similar systems are already in use in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Indonesia, and Estonia.

This innovative approach gives us more accurate, timely, and objective insights into population movement, including domestic tourism trends,he added. 

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova