Air Astana, Kazakh Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organisation have signed a memorandum to boost ties in the tourism sector. The three parties committed to increasing the amount of tourists travelling between their countries and to expand Korean-Kazakh co-operation in the sector. This will be achieved through a visa-free regime for South Korean visitors and direct flights between Almaty and Seoul. Last year, Air Astana transported over 75,000 passengers between the two countries, with over 20,000 in the first three months of 2018 alone. Dauletbek, Air Astana’s Vice President for Marketing and Sales, revealed South Korean tourists often use the Stopover Holidays programme to visit Kazakhstan while en route to elsewhere in the region, while Kazakhs opt for South Korea for health travel.