Kyrgyz citizens among Central Asia's most active tourists

In 2025, citizens of Kyrgyzstan emerged as significant travelers within Central Asia, constituting 19 percent of all foreign tourists visiting the region. This figure places Kyrgyzstan in fourth position among the nationalities most actively exploring their neighboring countries, according to a study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

The data reveals that Kazakhstan led the pack with 29 percent of regional tourists, closely followed by Uzbekistan at 22 percent and Russia at 20 percent. China accounted for the remaining 2 percent of tourists from these specified nationalities. This highlights a growing trend of intra-regional travel and tourism within Central Asia.

Furthermore, Kyrgyzstan itself proved to be a popular destination for Central Asian travelers. The republic attracted 18 percent of the region's outbound tourism flow. Only Uzbekistan, with 25 percent, and Kazakhstan, with 23 percent, saw higher proportions of their citizens traveling within the region. Collectively, tourism generated $20.1 billion for the Central Asian economy in 2025, representing 4.3 percent of the region's total GDP and marking a substantial 17.7 percent increase in the sector's contribution over the year.