Reality and Perspectives of Tourism Development in Kazakhstan: Sociological Analysis

8 Pages·0.505 MB·English

by  Mamanova Khalida Medetovna, Sadyrova Mansiya Sapargaliyevna.

Reality and Perspectives of Tourism
Development in Kazakhstan: Sociological
Analysis.
Mamanova Khalida Medetovna, Sadyrova Mansiya Sapargaliyevna
 that the reduction of state control in the sector could lead to an
Abstract— The article about the features of formation and increase in unscrupulous market participants.
development of tourism in Kazakhstan - as a one of the most However, despite all the efforts of the authorities, the pace of
promising economic modernization sector of Kazakhstan's society. development of the tourist industry in the country remains

poor. According to statistics, the share of tourism in the
Keywords— Tourism, outbound tourism, inbound tourism,
formation of the national income is only 1% [2]. According to
domestic tourism, tourism industry in Kazakhstan.
the World Economic Forum "Travel and Tourism:
Competitiveness 2011" Kazakhstan is in the 93rd position out
I. INTRODUCTION
of 139 countries [8]. It is also significant that, according to the
TH E tourism industry in Kazakhstan is considered as one of
annual ranking of the World Tourism Organization,
the most promising sectors of the economy, the successful
Kazakhstan was not included in the list of top ten countries of
development of which will contribute to its competitiveness
the World Tourism rankings [7].
and get rid of the dependence on natural resources. Over the
past five years as part of the tourism development program, a
II. DEVELOPMENT TENDENCIES OF TOURISM SECTOR IN
budget of 50 billion tenge (more than U.S. $330 million) was
KAZAKHSTAN
allocated. The bulk of these funds were directed to the
Kazakhstan is steadily growing outbound tourism. According
development of tourism infrastructure, a mechanism of state
to the Statistics Agency of Kazakhstan, in the period from
regulation and support of tourism, and the formation of an
2007 to 2011 the number of citizens who went to other
attractive tourist image of Kazakhstan within the country and
countries increased from 4.5 to 8 million. There are steadily
abroad.
growing number of those who use the services of travel
The legal basis for tourism in Kazakhstan was defined through
companies to arrange travel to other countries - from 295
the "On the tourist activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan",
thousand in 2007 to 391 thousand in 2011. This figure is said,
"The concept of the development of tourism in the Republic of
first of all, to be the result of the growth of the purchasing
Kazakhstan", "State program of development of tourism in the
power of the citizens against the economic recovery in the
Republic of Kazakhstan for 2007-2011", "The State Program
post-crisis period. The main tourist destinations of Kazakh
on Forced Industrial-Innovative Development of Kazakhstan
citizens are Turkey, China, UAE and Thailand.
for 2010-2014" laws. The concepts of the industrial-innovative
But, from the point of view of the development of its own
development and state program FIID, tourism was highlighted
economy outbound tourism cannot be a measure of success of
as a separate area in the 3 main blocks of economic
the tourism segment. Levels of development of the tourism
development - "The development of new labor-intensive
industry in any country are measured by indicators of inbound
industries".
and domestic tourism.
The tourist industry in Kazakhstan along with financial
In 2011, the volume of inbound tourism, according to the
instruments is also stimulated by legislative action. One
Statistics Agency of Kazakhstan, was 5.7 million people. It
popular step in this direction is the deregulation of licensing
should be noted that this number over the past few years has
travel agencies, which began in January 2012 [1]. According
been stable, ranging between 4-5 million people. Of these, the
to the participants of the tourist market, the liberalization of
services of travel agencies were used by only 36 thousand or
legislation substantially increases market access and reduce
0.64% of all visitors entering the country. And for the past five
administrative barriers for new players. Although it is believed
years, there has been reduction in foreign visitors using the

services of travel agencies. In 2007 the travel agencies served
Mamanova Khalida Medetovna. Author is the PhD student of Kazakh
62 thousand people, in the crisis year of 2009 this figure
National Teacher’s Training University by Abay, Almaty, ZIP 050000,
Republic of Kazakhstan (phone: [phone]; e-mail: decreased 2-fold to 31 thousand people. Visits to Kazakhstan
[email protected]). for foreign citizens are mainly private. Statistics show that
Sadyrova Mansiya Sapargaliyevna. Author is the dr., professor of more than 63% of visitors in 2010 came here for personal use,
sociology at Kazakh National University by Al Faraby, Almaty, ZIP 050000
Republic of Kazakhstan (e-mail: [email protected]).
and for tourism came only 48 thousand or 1% of non-resident Thus, an overview of outbound, inbound and domestic tourism
visitors [2]. in Kazakhstan clearly reveals the problem of the imbalance of
tourism segment. The tourism market in the country, as shown
Business; 3,9 above, is focused primarily on outbound tourism, the service
Tourism;
1,0 that is the focus of the vast majority of travel agencies.
Transit; Unfortunately, despite all the measures taken, the number of
18, foreigners choosing Kazakh tourist destinations for a trip is too
5
Staff of transfer small to serve as a basis for promoting tourism market.
companies
In this regard, it is clear that the observed increase in recent
13,1 Private; 63,5
years in the number of tourism organizations is due to the
growth of outbound tourism. Statistics show that, even in times
of financial crisis of 2008-2009, the number of visiting tourists
Fig. 1The distribution of non-resident visitors who enter the has remained stable, while in this period there has been a
country on a trip purposes, % significant reduction in the volume of inbound and outbound
tourism. Especially indicative of the decline is that of domestic
Comparative data from recent year’s show that the tourist tourists in 2009, to 122 thousand people - almost to the level
attraction of Kazakhstan abroad is not only low, but also of 2004. But, in 2010, there was a gradual recovery of
continues to decline. As seen in the chart from 2006 to 2010, previous rate of domestic tourism, although 2006 figures of
the number of tourists has decreased by almost half - from 92 209 thousand people in the near future will not be easy to
thousand to 48 thousand people. achieve.

100 000 250 000
90 000 91 830
83 683 209 143
80 000 200 000 193 122
184379
70 000 174 940
60 000 64 552 150 000 157 988
50 000 47 990 122 216
40 000 44 170 100 000 89 382 106 436
30 000
50 000
20 000
10 000
0
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Fig. 3 Dynamics of the number of domestic tourists served by
Fig. 2 Change in number of non-resident visitors who enter the
tourist organizations
country for tourism

Tour companies in Kazakhstan, due to their specialization in
Among the non-resident visitors the proportion of immigrants
outbound tourism, almost did not feel the negative effects of
from the former Soviet Union countries prevails, 89%, namely,
the economic crisis. The number of travel agencies in 2008-
Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. From foreign countries to
2010 remained increased slightly, 7.2%. If you look at the
Kazakhstan, more often, come from China, Germany, Turkey
longer retrospect, over the past eight years, the number of
and the UK.
tourist companies has almost doubled, from 713 to 1252 units.
The situation is more optimistic in the segment of domestic
For a more detailed view of the market of tourism in
tourism. The data show that over the past ten years, the
Kazakhstan and prospects of its development presents an
number of domestic tourists travel agencies served has
analysis of the ratio of 2 major parameters - population size
doubled and now stands at more than 200 thousand people.
and the number of operating travel agencies.
The number of permits sold in 2010 amounted to 205 thousand
Kazakhstan, which is the 9th largest country in the world by
units, which is 2.5 times more than in 2003. In total, the share
land area, has a very low population density, the parameter of
of tourism organizations serving visitors of domestic tourism
the population plays a big role in terms of the potential
now accounts for 34%, according to the trend, in the next few
consumers of inbound and domestic tourism.
years the volume of domestic tourism will grow [2]. An
Population size and density is low in all the 14 regions
increase in domestic tourism has contributed not only to
(excluding Almaty and Astana) of Kazakhstan. Most of
developing Kazakhstan’s tourism facilities, but also the
Kazakhstan's territory is located in the steppe, semi-desert and
reduction of interest in the outside areas, increased due to
desert climate zones. Relatively high population density
instability in countries such as Greece, Egypt and other Arab
characteristic of a relatively favourable for the life of the
countries.
regions of the South (South Kazakhstan region, Zhambyl
region), South-East (Almaty region, Almaty) and East comparable to Western Europe. In the regions, the situation is
Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan region). quite different.
In addition to these regions, areas in the north of the country In Almaty, the tourists come from foreign direct flights. In the
and the Karaganda region are not characterized by a high metropolitan areas there are trained guides and developed
density of population. Karaganda region - an industrial center, hotel businesses. In its vicinity, up from Charyn Canyon to
the most urbanized region concentrations cities (Karaganda, Lake Issyk and Chimbulak there are national parks, nature
Zhezkazgan, Balkhash, Karazhan, Priozersk, Satpayev, reserves, campsites and rail connections. In the provinces there
Temirtau, and Shakhtinsk). is very little to no infrastructure, transportation networks are
The ratio of the population and the number of travel agencies underdeveloped and the quality of roads is inadequate. To
in the regions of Kazakhstan reflects a pronounced imbalance. many potentially attractive sites access is limited due to the
More than half (56.7%), travel agencies are concentrated in lack of state highways.
Almaty. Further, the number of regions with the highest In addition, the exit and entry forms for tourism are
number of tour agencies follow Astana (10.3%), Karaganda considerably in terms of organization, formation and
(5.7%), Pavlodar (4.7%), North-Kazakhstan region (3.1%) and development of this kind of small and medium businesses.
the Almaty region (3.0%) [2]. Apart from Almaty suburbs and For travel agencies specializing in outbound tourism, besides
South Kazakhstan region, rapidly growing demographically the initial capital and office rent, the other cost is in terms of
and in terms of the consumer market is the capital city of human resources, mainly training staff in sales and networking
Astana. and establishing relations with foreign tour operators.
Contrary to the population densities, the focus of travel
agencies, or business activity in specific areas, the tourist
sphere, in addition to an urban metropolis Almaty and
III. THE PROBLEMS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
Karaganda region, a leader in these northern regions, as
Pavlodar and North Kazakhstan regions. Travel agencies specializing in incoming tourism have further
Imbalance in the tourism industry is also reflected in the fact costs to consider. Along with the business tourism they deal
that out of the total number of tourist companies in with a significant share of ecotourism. For this an organization
Kazakhstan, only 14% are organizing internal tourism. First, requires significant investment in infrastructure - hiring
most travel agencies focused on outbound tourism, providing a qualified guides, construction, rental accommodation facilities
package of services on a trip to Turkey, Egypt, the United (guest houses, motels, pickets, camping). Therefore, at this
Arab Emirates, China and other areas. Their customers are stage it is quite logical that imbalance that has emerged in the
tourist market of Kazakhstan. Inadequate infrastructure, weak
TABLE I
THE RATIO OF THE POPULATION AND THE NUMBER OF TRAVEL AGENCIES IN popular domestic destinations and the population growth with
THE REGIONS OF KAZAKHSTAN (AS OF 2010) increased wealth, create favourable conditions for the
development of outbound tourism, but significantly inhibit the
Population Tourism agencies formation of a segment of tourism in Kazakhstan.
People In %. Value In % InG %iv en the above trends, the prospects of tourism industry in
Republic of Kazakhstan 16 036 075 100,0% 1 247 100,0% Kazakhstan in the medium term is poor. In the case of the
Akmola Region 738 010 4,6% 21 1,7% present situation, when the tourist firms develop only through
Aktobe Region 718 870 4,5% 25 2,0%
outbound tourism, and the number of non-resident tourists
Almaty region 1 692 951 10,6% 37 3,0%
Atirau region 513 363 3,2% 19 1,5% steadily decreases, it is difficult to expect significant progress
West Kazakhstan Region 624 280 3,9% 11 0,9% in this area. Especially when one considers that the measures
Zhambil region 1 043 843 6,5% 21 1,7% taken by the government so far have not yielded significant
Karaganda region 1 352 037 8,4% 71 5,7%
results.
Kostanay region 886 284 5,5% 30 2,4%
Kizilorda region 689 749 4,3% 3 0,2% Analysis of the current situation shows that there is a whole set
Mangistau region 446 265 2,8% 28 2,2% of problems, because of which the tourist branch in
North Kazakhstan region 2 429 137 15,1% 24 1,9%
Kazakhstan may not reach a steady level of development.
Pavlodar Region 750 853 4,7% 58 4,7%
South Kazakhstan Region 643 302 4,0% 24 1,9% These problems are well-known and have been voiced for the
East Kazakhstan Region 1 418 784 8,8% 39 3,1% past few years by government officials and various experts, in
varying degrees, representing the tourism industry. Based on a
Astana 684 018 4,3% 129 10,3%
review of open sources (publications, interviews) one can
Almaty 1 404 329 8,8% 707 56,7% provide the following classification of the factors hindering the
*According to the Statistic Agency of Republic of Kazakhstan development of the tourism industry in Kazakhstan

The key problem of this trend is the low volume of attracted
investments in tourism and unstable rates of growth.
concentrated primarily in Astana and Almaty. Secondly, According to statistics, in 2010, this area was invested 246,445
Astana and Almaty have relatively good infrastructure, million tenge. Compared with 2006, the volume of investments
increased significantly, but it should be noted that in 2009 it if occupancy is more than 60%. Using this indicator lists only
was only 119,860 million tenge. In this case, the apparent Atyrau and Mangystau region - 60 and 64%, respectively.
effects of the economic crisis, which revealed that the tourist
industry is very "sensitive" to economic fluctuations.
0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0 70,0

Akmola region 13,9
300 000 Aktobe region 24,9
A tyrau region 11,9
250 000 246445 Almaty region 60,0
231230 W est Ka-z akhstan 20,9
rZehgaiomnb yl region 28,0
200 000 183747 Karagandy region 13,7
Kostanay region 26,7
150 000 138 296 Kyzylorda region 23,0
119860 Mangystau region 64,0
100 000 So uth K-a zakhstan 17,4
Preagvlioodna r region 13,3
50 000 No rth Ka-z akhstan 10,5
rEeagionK az-a khstan 11,5
st regAiosnta na 29,7
0 Almaty 23,3
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Kazakhstan 21,3

Fig. 4 Fixed capital investments in the tourism sector, million
Fig. 5 The occupancy rate (in %) placements by region in
tenge
2010

The "lion's share" of investment in the tourism industry The low popularity of Kazakhstan placements among foreign
accounts for private individuals. For example, in 2010 almost visitors is shown by the fact that these services have been used
70% of investment in tourism occurred in the private sector. by only 12.6% of all the citizens of other countries who
The state budget was funded 27% of investment. And only 4% arrived in Kazakhstan in 2010. I.e. if this year there were 4.7
of the total investment has been invested by foreign investors. million foreigners, only 594 thousand of them stayed in hotels
Lack of foreign investment in the tourist industry of and other types of placements. It turns out that visitors from
Kazakhstan is due primarily to the low level of development of other countries prefer to live in rented apartments and houses
the transport infrastructure (especially roads in the regions, rather than rent a hotel room. The reason is not only the high
with the exception of the cities of Almaty and Astana and cost of hotels, compared with rented housing, but also the lack
surrounding areas). Among other factors are restrictions on of hotels of varying class.
foreign purchase and lease of land due to complex land
Speaking of tourism infrastructure the only are that meets
legislation. Besides, the main factors that determine the internal standards is air transport, which is used by the vast
country's attractiveness to investors are access to markets, majority of exit and entry of tourists. But, for domestic
qualified staff and the availability of support from the tourism, which is characterized by overland travel, it is
authorities. important to the development and maintenance of the road
The basis of the tourist industry in any country is the network. Statistics show that almost half of domestic tourists
infrastructure at an international level, which needs to create a prefer to travel by car.
substantial cash infusion. The current level of investment, as An integral element of the tourist infrastructure is the system
experience shows, cannot achieve significant progress in this
of professional training in the tourism and service industries.
direction, so the question of expanding the investment base To date, problems with staffing tourist activity does not impact
(primarily due to foreign investors) is extremely important at upon big cities like Almaty and Astana, while in other regions
the moment. there is an acute shortage of workers in this sector. It is not just
The problem of the poor state of infrastructure is multi- about professional guides and tourism manager, but also the
layered. It is not only worn out and the limited road and rail, operating personnel. The main reason is the low labor costs in
but also the weak development in chains of hotels, hotels in the the industry, inefficient system of training, lack of opportunity
cities, motels, camping along the trails and hiking trails. To to do an internship and low level of knowledge among
date, relatively developed hotel chains are in major cities like teachers. It is clear that the shortage of qualified personnel in
Almaty and Astana. Most placements are worn, as they were the field of service businesses and tourism are forced to hire
built during the Soviet period. (Estimates of the degree of people without special training and experience, which will
deterioration of hotel base are up to 80%). Kazakhstan has 677 certainly affect the quality of services provided.
(according to 2010) active placements (hotels, motels, The next problems for the Kazakhstan tourist industry are high
campgrounds, tourist centers, guest houses, holiday homes, prices, and price discrepancy and service quality. The cost of
etc.), which is 212 more units than in 2006. Despite the the 10-day trips to Borovoe (resort area in the Akmola region)
increase in the number of placements, their occupancy rate is averages 80 000-100 000 tenge. For the same price of travel
very low at 21%. A hotel chain can only be deemed successful agencies offer a similar duration trip to Turkey and other
popular destinations. It should be noted that local tours include
a much smaller list of free services and are combined with a experience of these countries shows that within a relatively
lower level of service. short period of time, you can make significant progress in the
Experience shows that the most affected with these problems creation of the tourism industry. The main thing, a carefully
are economy class placements, which focus on mass tourism. thought-out policy in the field of tourism, as well as a
Hotels and resorts of this type have generally not been systematic approach for its implementation.
modernized since Soviet times, and retain the same Soviet Speaking about the success of Turkey in the field of tourism, it
approach when dealing with visitors. The funds to provide the is accepted, that the geographic location, and cultural and
services they value most in modern European countries are not historical features of the country play a major role. However,
available. These include most of the health centers, which are an analysis of the history of tourism in Turkey shows that the
located in the distal regions. Funds to update and improve main merit in creating a strong tourism industry belongs
tourist services are mainly allocated to those hotels and resorts mainly to the Government of Turkey, which has led the
which are focused on the elite segment of the population. But painstaking work to stimulate and support the tourism industry
they serve no more than 5% of the total tourist contingent in the country. Since the middle of the last century up to the
which exists in the country. The population is either satisfied present time, Turkey has passed through the difficult stages of
with the existing service, or select to take international tourism formation, development and finally prosperity of tourism.
routes. As shown every year the international option is They are now among the giants of world tourism taking up to
becoming more and more popular. 35 million annual tourists.
The next set of problems can be grouped into a group of Kazakhstan, in comparison with Turkey, is not so rich in
political and managerial, as they are all more or less related to cultural and historical attractions, but from the point of view of
the imperfection of the state planning and regulation of the the natural landscape and geographical features of the country
tourism industry. According to experts, Kazakhstan does not are also unique. Kazakhstan has enormous potential for the
have effective legal and regulatory framework for the conduct tourism, recognised by- government officials, experts and
of tourism activities. In particular, there are administrative foreign guests. Studies show that Kazakhstan is located in the
barriers and costs of the permit system for businesses. center many countries that expect to see a large increase in
According to estimates by international organizations, the foreign tourism. According to various experts, by 2020, China,
business climate in Kazakhstan is not favourable for the Russia, India and the Middle East will have an additional 200
development and functioning of tourism. million plus tourists visiting every year.
Attention must be given to the strategic planning of the In order to make the most of the potential of Kazakhstan it is
tourism industry. As shown, between 2007 and 2011 important to build an effective economic policy based on a
substantial funding from the state budget was allocated to this scientific approach that takes into account the real situation
industry. Currently the next program is under development but and the experience of other countries. The level of
the previous program has yet to be audited. It remains unclear development of tourism in Kazakhstan is currently at a level
how the program 2007-2011 has been successful, what Turkey was at in the 60s and 70s. A common characteristic of
problems had it resolved, and which remain unresolved. the two countries is that the authorities are fully aware of the
Without this understanding it is impossible to talk about the opportunities offered by tourism to the country and at this time
continuity of the state policy towards tourism, which, in turn, Turkish politician began to make a special emphasis on the
is one of the necessary conditions for the success of the range development of the industry in their speeches. However, the
of measures aimed at the development of tourism in economic potential of Turkey at that time was limited, and the
Kazakhstan. government's plans were not always accompanied by the
Kazakhstan’s government is preparing the new program of necessary resources. Due to a lack of budget funds and
long-term development of the tourist industry. According to investment Turkish authorities were forced to identify priority
the statements of the ministry of industry and new areas for the tourism industry (the coast of the province of
technologies, this program will also provide mechanisms to Balikesir province to Antalya). It is in these areas that the
solve the existing problems in the field of tourism. At the end Government of Turkey gave an emphasis to attracting
of 2012, this ministry is planning to hold a competition for investment.
regional projects, make financial and economic analysis of the A similar situation exists in the tourism industry in Kazakhstan
instruments of state support. The purpose of the program is to today. The government has identified the key projects of the
make tourism in Kazakhstan a powerful industry that provides international level, which will be developed by individual
a steady GDP growth and stimulates the development of many system development plans. These areas are the Schuichnsko-
related industries. Burabay resort zone, ski resorts near Almaty and the marine
recreation area at Kenderli. The next level - regional projects
IV. THE PERSPECTIVES OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT focused on domestic tourism. This includes Alakol, Balkhash,
To guide the development of Kazakhstan, selected countries Bayanaul, Turkestan and others. For each of these resorts the
such as Turkey and Malaysia, which today are the absolute government aims to create a plan for the development of
leaders in the global tourism market, should be studied. The
infrastructure with the needs of economic, environmental and
Tourists, people Tourism income,
social positions.
million.$
400
The project based approach to attracting foreign investors has
been widely used in Turkey in the 1970s and 80s. For 3005000 3165 1
example, one such project is the project for the development of 300
00
the South of Antalya, which was supported by the International 250
00 23
Bank for Reconstruction and Development. But, as history has 200 020
00
shown, this approach does not provide a breakthrough in the 150
00 968
development of tourism industry, as the total amount of funds 100
9
00
allocated to this sector has remained limited. 500
In this regard, the Turkish government changed its policy in 0 0 189 780 0
suunpppreocret deonft edt oubreinsmef itsa nadn d bpyr ivtihleeg ems ifdo-r1 9m80esm beesrtsa bolfis hthede 77, 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1980 1982 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011
tourist market. First, the new Law on the promotion of tourism,

which contained a greater incentive for the development of the Fig. 6 Figures of tourism industry in Turkey from 1963 to
sector and called for the empowerment of the Ministry of 2011
Tourism. The most effective stimuli were the allocation of (According to the statistics from www.tursab.org.tr)
preferential tariffs for electricity, water and gas in the priority

areas, reducing the tax burden and soft loans to those who
The Turkish example clearly demonstrates that the
have acted in this industry. It is believed that from this period
transformation of tourism into a powerful industry demands
began a new stage in the development of tourism in Turkey.
first of all, a system of economic incentives to attract
Secondly, in 1983 a new government came to power, Turgut
investment and create a favourable business climate
Ozal, who adopted a policy of privatization, deregulation of
implemented by the government. Kazakhstan has so far only
prices, liberalization of imports, involvement of the private
raised the issue of the expansion of state support of tourism,
sector and other measures for the transition to a free market
but real steps in this direction have not yet been made. While it
economy. Turkey also began the creation of free economic
is only the definition of a model of public-private partnership
zones, which played a crucial role in the development of the
that would address issues of land tenure, access to
tourist industry. Within the limits of free trade, market
infrastructure and government support measures. Kazakhstan
participants have been exempted from tax and other
is only at the stage of finding effective models to stimulate the
compulsory fees. Incomes from operations in the free zone are
tourist industry. Orientation to Turkey in this matter could
exempt from income and corporation tax. Goods imported and
greatly help the government of Kazakhstan, using the history
exported were exempt from customs duties. Thus, they
of Turkey a guide to action.
achieved increased investment attractiveness towards the
However, it seems that a direct copy of Turkish policy by
tourism industry and created favourable conditions for doing
Kazakhstan may not be effective, because there is a regional,
business in this area.
geographic, demographic and socio-economic specificity that
The result of such a policy does not take long - the country
cannot be overlooked when developing a strategy for tourism
flooded with foreign investment, mainly Germany. Within a
development.
short period of time modern infrastructure was built, with an
To understand what this specific details of Kazakhstan’s
extensive network of hotels, as well as old landmarks being
position I will conduct a SWOT-analysis, which is one of the
remodelled and modernized.
universal tools of analysis for industry. Conducting SWOT
As seen in the chart below, it was during the mid 80s that
analysis allows for the construction of a matrix in the
Turkey began a steady growth of the tourism industry. Nearly
appropriate cells with entered strengths, weaknesses,
double the number of tourists and tourism revenue was
opportunities and threats. Strengths include the features that
achieved in 10 years. Thus, the new economic policy of the
provide additional features (favourable circumstances, which
government of Turkey has fully justified itself, laying the
can be used for the development of the industry), and
foundation for sustainable development of tourism in the
weaknesses (elements which could have a negative impact on
country.
the tourism potential) represent the absence of something
The effectiveness of the economic model of Turkey meant that
necessary for the functioning of the country's tourism or those
the country's tourist industry continues to grow, despite the
items that have a negative impact on the industry.
negative impact of the economic crisis. Turkey currently
receives over 35 million visitors a year. At the current rate in
10 years, this figure will increase by 2 times.
Conducted SWOT-analysis has shown that the growth
TABLE II
potential of outbound and domestic tourism is relatively small
SWOT-ANALYSIS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN KAZAKHSTAN
due to limited consumer market in Kazakhstan - large areas
Strengths Weaknesses
and small population, relatively low purchasing power of the
1. The advantageous geographical 1. Underdeveloped tourism
general population. In the medium term (5 years), the main location, the variety of the natural infrastructure
directions of the country's tourism market will be outbound landscape 2. Depreciation of hotel stock, low
2. Significant natural and rate of construction of modern
and domestic tourism, while inbound tourism will remain a environmental, historical, cultural and placements
problematic segment of the industry. recreational potential 3. Low levels of roadside services
3. Stable socio-economic and political 4. Weak promotion of tourism
The main stops to the industry will remain undeveloped small situation products in the domestic and
businesses, lack of investment, poor infrastructure, low level 4. Experience in international sports, international markets.
music and other activities ("Asian 5. Lack of visibility and
of service, an insufficient network of accommodation, Games", musical competitions) attractiveness of the image of
corruption and the inefficiency of government. You can also 5. Transportation system (eg, air) Kazakhstan in the world
6. The interest of the state and the 6. Lack of industry statistics,
predict the preservation of imbalance within the development public in the development of tourism providing information and
of the tourism industry, which is reflected in the concentration 7. Government support measures for management support to the
the tourism industry, the reduction of development of tourism
of the travel agencies in major cities and regions lagging administrative barriers for tourism 7. Lack of trained personnel in the
behind. activities tourism industry
8. The relatively high level of 8. Disparity in the value for money
The question of what measures should be taken to improve the competition in the tourist market, the offered by current placements
situation in the tourist market remains open. The Government formation of a professional community 9. Unpreparedness of the population
of travel agents (CTA - Kazakhstan to work with tourists
by the end of the year must submit a new program for the Tourist Association) 10. Underdeveloped transport
sector, the content and the effectiveness of which will scheme delivery of tourists in the
distal regions
determine the future of Kazakhstan's tourism. A possible 11. Lack of motivating factors for the
positive effect is expected in result of the implementation of development of inbound and outbound
tourism
the country's major economic projects like FIID, "Roadmap
Opportunities Threats
2020" and the" Western China - Western Europe ". First of all, 1. Availability of fiscal space, allowing 1. The limited consumer market due
for targeted financial support for the to large areas and small population
these programs should address the development of the road
tourism industry 2. Low attractiveness of the
network. 2. Implementation of major economic industry to local and foreign investors
projects (FIID, the Roadmap, "Western 3. Lack of development of small
Based on an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the
China-Western Europe) that improve the business
tourist industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the tourism infrastructure 4. The growing competition among
3. Stable purchasing power in the the Central Asian countries in tourism
experience of Turkey, the following measures can be put
country on tourist products, the trend of 5. The risk of tourist traffic to the
forward which will contribute to the development of tourism in growth in domestic tourism terrorist attacks, the activities of
4. Use of international dissemination of religious extremist organizations
Kazakhstan.
information to create an attractive image 6. Strengthening outbound travel
First action should be taken to gradually change the prevailing of Kazakhstan (advertising on Euro abroad due to low prices and high
news) quality of the services it provides
imbalance of outbound and inbound tourism. To do this, give
5. The increased interest of the citizens 7. Low efficiency of the state
tax breaks for tourism services and infrastructure. An example to the historical and cultural heritage and apparatus in the implementation of the
its own attractions tourism development
to follow in this case is Turkey, which, even now subsidizes up
8. The corruption in access to land
to 40% of costs in the construction of hotels. In addition, it is 9. Tax laws unfavourable to tourism
activities
appropriate to provide measures to increase the country's

attractiveness to investors - the reduction of taxes on income
of individuals, reduction (temporary release) from corporate
taxes organizations engaged in the tourist industry, as well as
the reduction of customs duties on imported equipment.
In the area of passport-visa policy it is important to implement
the simplification of administrative procedures for the V. CONCLUSION
registration of foreign citizens, the establishment of simple and
However, there remains a need for an effective system of
transparent rules for passing through customs and passport
institutions to promote goodwill, as well as mechanisms for
control, improved service at airports and other points of
coordination and implementation of key program activities in
welcoming tourists.
the field of tourism. To do this, it is important to strengthen the
It is important to actively use the global media to improve the
role of structures such as the Ministry of Industry and New
country’s image in a short period of time, creating an effective
Technologies and Business Association (NEP "Atameken",
campaign to promote investment and production capacity of
Kazakhstan Tourist Association). At regional authorities it is
the country in the international business community. There is a
advisable to create the Department of Tourism similar to that
need to target online resources at English, Russian and
created within Almaty.
Chinese speaking peoples, giving full information about
Overall analysis of the situation of the tourism sector in
tourism in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan shows that to date the development of tourism in
the country has been difficult to achieve, and it has a complex
character. The most significant factor is an underfunded sector
with significant deterioration of infrastructure, lack of staff and
poor incentives for people to invest in the tourist market. The
solution to these problems mainly depends on the success of
the state regulation in this area, as well as the efficiency of the
state apparatus, involved in the implementation of tourism
development policy in general. However, the experience of
countries such as Turkey indicates that at present, the Kazakh
authorities should reconsider the former approach to tourism
development. A shift away from the "residual" principle of
financing the sector and take measures to improve the
investment attractiveness of tourism.
In general, the most important condition for the success of all
government policy is to maintain continuity and strategic
vision at all stages of its implementation. Only in this way, you
can the country make a quantum leap towards the formation of
a highly efficient and competitive tourist industry.

REFERENCES
[1] Закон Республики Казахстан от 15 июля 2011 г. №
461-IV “О внесении изменений и дополнений в
некоторые законодательные акты Республики
Казахстан по вопросам совершенствования
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РК, 2011 г., № 12 (2589), ст. 111.
[2] Статистический сборник Агенства Статистики РК
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Института экономики МОН РК, кандидат
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[7] UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, (2011).
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