The mystique of Central Asia and its deepening business ties with mainland China have prompted more Hongkongers to choose the region for holidays, according to travel agency heads.
They were also optimistic that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's high-level visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week would further promote Central Asia, encouraging residents to step off the beaten path and explore the region's lesser-known tourism spots.
Alex Lee Chun-ting, general manager of Miramar Travel, said the agency had started developing services to the Central Asia market more than two years ago.
Miramar now operated about eight to 10 tours to the region every year, with roughly 20 travellers taking part in each one, Lee explained.
"Many mainland conglomerates have stepped up their partnerships with their counterparts in Central Asia in recent years, and the region is no longer unfamiliar to those Hongkongers who work in these companies," he said.
Lee added that more people from mainland China had settled in the region and were working as local tour operators, collaborating closely with travel agencies in Hong Kong.
"It is easier to communicate with these mainland operators and they know Hongkongers' preferences as well - all these [factors] have allowed Hong Kong agencies to plan more tours to Central Asia."
Lee said the Covid-19 pandemic had broadened residents' holiday preferences, with travellers now looking beyond shopping and entertainment in favour of deep cultural experiences.
Over the past few decades, Hong Kong travel agencies expanded into a wide range of destinations, introducing tours to such places as South Africa and Eastern Europe as early as 20 years ago.
While expansion has slowed, Lee said he believed the "stan" countries of Central Asia would be the next major growth area as they were relatively unexplored and remained "very mysterious to Hong Kong travellers".
Sunny Yip Yeung-sang, director of Goldjoy Holidays, which specialises in less conventional destinations, also said the region was becoming more popular among Hongkongers.
Goldjoy first explored the Central Asian market more than 15 years ago, when hardly any visitors from the mainland, Hong Kong and other parts of East Asia were visiting.
"Back then, the Central Asian countries were not as stable, and there were tensions among them," Yip said, adding that much of the region remained rural.
But over the past decade, its cities had undergone significant development and countries had rolled out policies and campaigns to attract Chinese tourists, he explained.
Kazakhstan entered into a mutual 30-day visa-free arrangement with China in 2023, triggering an immediate spike in leisure travel and corporate scouting trips. This prompted Uzbekistan to follow suit in 2025.
Hong Kong passport holders currently enjoy 14 days of visa-free stay in Kazakhstan and 10 days in Uzbekistan.
Yip said Central Asia offered a "unique experience" to travellers and that he had devoted energy to developing tours with local operators in recent years.
Uzbekistan sits at the historical heart of the ancient Silk Road, which connected China with the Mediterranean, while Kazakhstan cradles a nomadic culture and boasts natural attractions such as snow-covered peaks and Charyn Canyon.
"Being out in nature is a truly magical experience," Yip said, adding that nearly 2,000 Hongkongers had so far joined his agency's tours to Central Asia, most of them retirees who had already explored more conventional and popular destinations.
Both Lee and Yip said the current lack of direct flights between Hong Kong and Central Asia was not a major hurdle, with frequent transit flights via the mainland giving residents convenient options.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post earlier this month, Bauyrzhan Dosmanbetov, Kazakhstan's consul general in Hong Kong, said that his country was ideal for outdoor activities such as horse riding, hunting and fishing.
He noted the encouraging signs of Hongkongers' growing trust and interest in Kazakhstan, with several local schools organising educational tours to the country in March.
"We are actively working on a large-scale promotion of Kazakhstan to make our country even more attractive and recognisable to the people of Hong Kong," he said.
