- Border Service: 20.98 mln entries of foreign citizens in 2025 (+18.6% vs 2024) — a border count, not a tourist count.
- Natstatcom: 5.3 mln people used tourism organisations and private guesthouses in 2025 (+45.2%); ≈770,000 of them were foreigners in the organised sector.
- Tourism service exports ≈$1.098 bn in 2025 (+8.1%); tourism = 3.8% of GDP (target 7% by 2030).
- Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan supply the vast majority of entries; China (≈282,000), India, Germany and Korea lead long-haul.
- Issyk-Kul received ≈2.6 mln holidaymakers in 2025. Figures as of November 2026.
In 2025 Kyrgyzstan registered 20.98 million entries of foreign citizens at its borders (+18.6%), 5.3 million people used tourism organisations and private guesthouses (+45.2%), and tourism service exports reached about $1.098 billion. Tourism accounted for 3.8% of GDP. These numbers come from different agencies and measure different things — the table below explains which figure to quote for which purpose.
How does Kyrgyzstan compare with its neighbours? See our open dataset Central Asia tourism statistics 2025: Kyrgyzstan vs Kazakhstan vs Uzbekistan (CC BY 4.0).
How many tourists visit Kyrgyzstan?
There is no single “tourist arrivals” number. Three official series are commonly cited, and media sometimes mix them:
| Indicator (2025) | Value | Source | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entries of foreign citizens | 20,978,965 (+18.6%) | Border Service of the GKNB | Every crossing by a foreigner, incl. traders, workers, transit and repeat trips |
| Foreign arrivals (tourism estimate) | ≈10.5 mln | economist.kg (10.08.2026) | Arrivals for tourism purposes, all modes |
| Visitors to tourism organisations and guesthouses | 5.3 mln (+45.2%) | Natstatcom | Residents and foreigners who stayed in hotels, sanatoriums, guesthouses, or used tour companies |
| — of which organised sector | 3.7 mln | Natstatcom | Hotels, tour companies, sanatoriums, rest homes |
| — foreigners in organised sector | ≈770,000 (+30.5%) | Natstatcom | Foreign guests registered by formal providers |
| — private guesthouses and households | 32.1% of total | Natstatcom (sample survey) | Estimated, not reported |
For comparison, 24.kg reported 8.9 million “tourists” for 2024 using the broad arrivals definition. The gap between ≈21 million border entries and ≈770,000 foreigners recorded by formal accommodation is itself a research finding: much of the stay economy is either short-stay cross-border travel or happens in the informal sector — see shadow economy in tourism.
Top source markets
| Market | Indicator | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 28.3% of entries (2024) | Main leisure market for Issyk-Kul; road access via Kordai and Kegen |
| Uzbekistan | With Kazakhstan ≈87.5% of entries | Mostly cross-border and family trips in the south |
| Russia | Top-3 inbound market | Issyk-Kul, sanatoriums, mountains |
| China | ≈282,000 (2025) | Business and growing leisure |
| India | ≈32,000 (2025) | Students and growing tourism; direct flights from Delhi since 12.2025 |
| Germany | ≈30,000 (2025) | Largest EU market; trekking, horse trips |
| Korea | ≈25,000 (2025) | Group tours, nature |
How much does tourism earn?
| Indicator | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism service exports | ≈$1.098 bn | +8.1% |
| Gross output of the tourism sector | 136.8 bn som | +26.8% (2021: 52.8 bn) |
| Value added of the sector | 74.4 bn som | — |
| Paid services of tourism organisations | ≈21 bn som | ≈+25% |
| — accommodation | 11.1 bn som | |
| — travel agencies | 7.6 bn som | |
| — sanatoriums | 2.4 bn som | |
| FDI in tourism construction | $87.8 mln | Highest in several years |
| Share of GDP | 3.8% | 2021: 3.2%; target 7% by 2030 |
In the first half of 2026 foreign visitors spent $528.3 million in Kyrgyzstan, while Kyrgyz residents spent $284.8 million abroad — a surplus of roughly 1.9 times. Analysis: tourism as a services export.
Businesses in tourism
The number of tourism enterprises grew from 14,600 in 2021 to about 20,700 in 2025; travel agencies and tour operators from 5,000 to 7,200; catering businesses reached 10,200. There are 120 sanatorium-resort organisations, 22 of them opened in the last four years, mostly in Issyk-Kul and Bishkek. Including individual entrepreneurs, around 129,000 businesses work in tourism, according to the Ministry of Economy.
Issyk-Kul in numbers
Issyk-Kul is the country's main tourism region: about 2.6 million holidaymakers in 2025, most of them from Kazakhstan, Russia and domestic. The north shore around Cholpon-Ata concentrates beach resorts and sanatoriums; Karakol anchors trekking in summer and skiing in winter.
Seasonality
Monthly series are not published in a consistent form, so the profile below is qualitative, based on sector reports and on-the-ground operations:
- Peak: July–August — Issyk-Kul beach season, highest guesthouse occupancy and prices.
- Shoulder: June and September — trekking, horse trips, Song-Kul yurts (late June–early September).
- Winter niche: December–March — Karakol and Jyrgalan skiing, cat-skiing.
- Low: November, April — mostly business and city travel.
Seasonality is one reason providers stay informal: a guesthouse that earns most of its revenue in eight weeks often does not register or invest in tools. For travellers, see best time to visit.
How to cite this page
Quote the primary source (Natstatcom, Border Service, NBKR) with the year, and link this page as a compilation: “visitalatoo.com, Kyrgyzstan tourism statistics 2025–2026, updated November 2026”. The page is part of our digital tourism research.
FAQ
How many tourists visited Kyrgyzstan in 2025?
It depends on the definition: the Border Service recorded 20.98 million entries of foreign citizens; a tourism-purpose estimate of about 10.5 million arrivals was reported; and 5.3 million people (residents and foreigners) used tourism organisations and guesthouses, per Natstatcom.
How much money does tourism bring to Kyrgyzstan?
About $1.098 billion of tourism service exports in 2025 (+8.1%). Tourism made up 3.8% of GDP, with gross output of 136.8 billion som. The government targets a 7% GDP share by 2030.
Which countries send the most tourists to Kyrgyzstan?
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan together account for roughly 87.5% of entries; Kazakhstan alone was 28.3% in 2024. Russia is in the top three. Among long-haul markets, China (≈282,000), India, Germany and Korea led in 2025.
How many people visit Issyk-Kul each year?
About 2.6 million holidaymakers in 2025. Issyk-Kul is the country's main tourism region, with the beach season in July–August and skiing around Karakol from December to March.
Why do official tourism numbers differ so much?
Border data count every crossing, including traders and repeat trips; tourism estimates count arrivals for leisure; Natstatcom's 5.3 million counts users of tourism facilities, including domestic guests. Private guesthouses are estimated from surveys, not reports.
Sources
- economist.kg — Tourism 2025: 5.3 mln visitors (Natstatcom), 19.10.2026
- economist.kg — 20.98 mln foreign citizens entered KR in 2025 (Border Service), 23.01.2026
- economist.kg — Tourism exports exceeded $1 bn, 30.03.2026
- economist.kg — Issyk-Kul dominates Kyrgyzstan tourism, 19.08.2026
- 24.kg — Kyrgyzstan received 8.9 million tourists in 2024