UNJournal Kayla Lee |  The city of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, will participate in one of Asia’s leading international tourism exhibitions-Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF 2026), taking place from June 4 to 7, 2026, in Seoul, South Korea.

SITF is recognized as a key tourism platform in the Asia-Pacific region, annually bringing together national tourism organizations, convention bureaus, cities, and travel companies from around the world. The exhibition serves as an important gateway for destinations seeking to strengthen their presence in the Asian outbound travel market and expand international partnerships.

The participation of the city of Astana in SITF 2026 reflects its ongoing strategy to position the capital as a dynamic destination for both leisure and business tourism, with a particular focus on attracting visitors from Asian markets.

The city continues to strengthen its reputation as an emerging international hub for events, offering a unique combination of modern infrastructure, cultural heritage, and strategic geographic location.

According to the latest available data, the city of Astana demonstrates steady growth in the MICE sector. In 2025, the city hosted 189 business events with a total attendance exceeding 150,000 participants. Astana successfully organized major international events such as Digital Bridge, the IFLA World Library and Information Congress, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, Astana Finance Days, as well as a number of high-level forums in technology, finance, and medicine.

Tourism growth is also reflected in increasing visitor numbers. In 2025, the city of Astana welcomed approximately 1.19 million tourists, marking a 9% increase compared to the previous year. Notably, around 31% of visits were related to business and professional travel, highlighting the city’s strong positioning in the MICE industry.

During SITF 2026, the city of Astana will present its tourism and investment potential to the Asian travel trade audience. The showcase will highlight the city’s modern venues, developed hotel infrastructure, convenient transport accessibility, and extensive experience in hosting international events of various scales.

As part of the exhibition program, the delegation of the city of Astana will also hold a series of B2B meetings with international partners, tour operators, and event organizers. These meetings will focus on expanding cooperation, increasing tourist flows from the Asia-Pacific region, and attracting new international events to the capital.