Kids go free is a family holiday program aimed at stimulating domestic tourism in Kazakhstan. The program for free-of-charge air travel for children (from 2 to 17 years old inclusive) has been launched in January 2022 and enables subsidizing passengers for tours within Kazakhstan (purchased from a tour operator licensed to organize domestic tourism tours).
This allows parents not to pay for tickets of minor children on vacation within the country, in case if a complete tour package is purchased from a travel company.
In the material we will describe how the "Kids go free" program works and how to participate in it?
Based on the established Rules, the mechanism of costs reimbursement to tour operators is as follows. Upon tourists return from vacation, a tour operator submits an application. A package of documents is attached to an application for reimbursement of costs:
Pursuant to the Rules, a tour operator's application is considered within two working days, a decision on whether to provide the subsidy or not is made within another 7 days, and if an application is approved, the payment of costs is made within 25 working days.
The costs will be reimbursed to tour operators by Kazakh Tourism JSC.
Information on the decision made is posted on the Organization's website.
Location address: 55/14 Mangilik El ave., Astana, office: 222.
E-mail: info@qaztourism.kz , g.sakhmetova@qaztourism.kz
According to the Rules for obtaining free-of-charge air tickets for children, tourists need to contact a tour operator in the field of domestic tourism to purchase a tourist product and go to vacation throughout the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Free-of-charge air travel is provided at the expense of a tour operator in the field of domestic tourism.
Thus:
The most important thing is that air travel and accommodation should be included into a tour package.
NOTE: the program provides that a tour operator purchases air tickets at its own expense, and then the state reimburses the costs of air tickets for children according to the Rules. At the same time, the participation of tour operators in the program is voluntary. The costs will be reimbursed to tour operators by Kazakh Tourism JSC.
For example, a family of 2 adults and 2 minor children (7 and 10 years old) plans to spend a vacation in Turkestan. The family purchased a tour package from a tour operator in the field of domestic tourism at the cost of KZT 500.000, including air travel and accommodation for all the family members in both directions. A tour operator in the field of domestic tourism provided free-of-charge air travel for children. In total, the amount payable for the tour package is KZT 400.000 (exclusive of the cost of air tickets for children in the amount of KZT 100.000).
"Kids go free" is a stimulating measure from the state aimed at the development of domestic tourism. To participate in the program, one needs to purchase a tour from tour operator with accommodation in a hotel/a health resort or in other place.
Based on the tourist community feedback, a list of tour operators under the "Kids go free" program has been formed for the convenience of tourists (the list of tour operators is advisory and is not binding both for consumers of services and tour operators, the list can be adjusted based on the proposals of tour operators). The participation of tour operators in the system is voluntary.
The list of tour operators and conditions for participation in the program for tour operators are available at the link.
It is important to note that Aviata.kz aggregator has launched a special landing page for Kids Go Free on its platform, where tour operators can place their tours, and tourists can buy the tours with free-of-charge tickets for children by leaving a request.