Andrew Chulakov, 55 years old, hometown ― Almaty, entrepreneur
About business
Briz-Aktau company has been operating for over 20 years.
The company has six small boats, and three of them are of its own construction. Since last year, we have started the production of motor-tourist catamarans, designed to provide services in the segment of short-term coastal navigation. Also, developed a project of a twelve-meter double-deck catamaran, which can take on board up to 40 people.
Our shipyard located near the seaport of Aktau, all the specialists are local. Since the work is seasonal, all captains who work on yachts in summer, work at the shipyard in winter and build boats.
We are developing three directions in marine tourism:
― the first is sea travel on sailing-motor catamarans along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Although we have rented boats for travel to Baku, Astrakhan
― the second is walking along with Aktau City in small companies, the time is determined by the guests themselves
― the third and the most popular — hour walk on the motor catamaran "Ustyurt". Route one: from one neighbourhood along the cliffs and the waterfront to the 14 neighbourhoods and back. The cost of the walk is 1,000 tenge per adult, 500 tenge per teenager, children are free.
About features of sea tourism
The main problem is that the city doesn't have closed from the waves safe parking for boats and yachts. Such parking lots called marinas, present in almost all port cities of the world and an integral part of the sea tourist city.
The main problem is that the city doesn't have closed from the waves safe parking for boats and yachts
I have been promoting the idea of building a yacht marina in Aktau for more than 10 years. It will allow revealing the full tourism potential of the Caspian Sea. People will be able to safely store boats and not to worry. This will attract buyers of yachts and tourists.
There is also a problem with the organization of trips to the sea. Now border services require an impressive list of documents and a preliminary route of the trip. This has a negative impact on sea tourism, as vacationers are not free to ride on catamarans and jet skis.
Almagul Lepesbayeva, 31 years old, hometown ― Zhanaozen, entrepreneur
About business
The idea of creating a diving centre came two years ago, after my first dive into the water. We started work in April 2018.
The diving centre employs five people, including two instructors, one technician, one marketer and me as a manager.
We have made scuba diving available to everyone, we offer not only a trial dive but a range of activities for recreation and diving training.
We ready to work on the program of all-inclusive to attract tourists to the region
A test dive costs 15,000 tenge. We ready to work on the program of all-inclusive to attract tourists to the region. We have launched a lot of discounts, developed a club card. In addition, we are the only one who offers the service of marriage proposal and registration of marriage under water.
The locals are not very interested in scuba diving and just started to understand what kind of rest it is. The reason that in the past no one was engaged in this, but in the West this sport was actively distributed.
At the moment we are the leading organization of scuba diving in Kazakhstan and popularize this sport at the level of the Republic. We hope, in the future, we will be able to develop our business better than in Turkey and Egypt.
Elena Nosenko, 31 years old, hometown ― Aktau, marketer
About vacation in Aktau
I prefer passive recreation. Aktau is a sea city which means rest on the beaches.
A very popular form of rest in Aktau for locals and tourists is yachting. Rent costs from 20,000 to 35,000 tenge per hour. Admiring sunrises and sunsets from the deck of the yacht are one of the best ways to spend summer time.
Aktau is a sea city which means rest on the beaches
In Aktau is popular spearfishing for mullet and walleye. To do this, we always leave for a few tens of kilometres from the city where no sandy beaches, because of the fish lives where is a rocky bottom. No civilization for tens of kilometres around, just you one on one with nature. The best part is the process of eating when you fry the fish on the grill.
Aktau has sea passenger buses. The walk costs 1,000 tenge and lasts 40 minutes. This is a unique opportunity to admire the relict rocks from the sea, on which the city is built. The light breeze, beautiful views of the city and the sea of impressions guaranteed to you.
In Aktau is also popular active marine rest such as a cupboard, wakeboard, kite surfing, water scooters. There are coastal recreation centres with beaches outside the city, where you can rent a house for the night.
Arman Adilbekov, 34 years old, hometown ― Uralsk, sales consultant
About vacation in Aktau
In Aktau, you can enjoy different kinds of rest. If you prefer lazy and quiet days in the hotel, there are hotel complexes for this. However, I like to walk along the sea, listen to the sound of the surf and enjoy the sunsets. Only in Aktau, you can see the most incredible sunsets, when the sun seems to sink, giving its warmth to the mighty sea.
Popular activities in the city include catamaran rides, yacht rentals, underwater fishing, diving and jet skiing.
Only in Aktau, you can see the most incredible sunsets when the sun seems to sink, giving its warmth to the mighty sea
Personally, I tried only walks on a catamaran. This is a convenient form of rest, takes only an hour and pretty inexpensive ― 1,000 tenge per adult and 500 tenge per teenager.
I have also witnessed how foreign tourists ride wakeboards, engaged in kitesurfing.
Aktau has a huge tourist potential, but there are many little things that have to be worked out.
For 150,000 — 200,000 tenge you can organize a bright and active holiday in Aktau. However, only if you will save money on things such as housing and buying souvenirs and clothes.
