Tourism in West Kazakhstan: Current Status and Sustainability Prospects

From 15.07 to 03.08, employees of the Sustainable Tourism Laboratory of the Scientific Center for Sustainable Development and Rational Nature Management of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University Alexandr Artemyev, Serik Mominov and Azamat Beisakhmet were on a field expedition in the West Kazakhstan region. According to the research program, which provides for the study of natural and cultural-historical tourist sites, as well as the tourist infrastructure of four regions of West Kazakhstan, meetings were held with representatives of akimats, departments of tourism, tourism business, scientists and local historians, consumers of final services - tourists. In the West Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions, discussions were held on local television channels. Extensive material was collected to analyze the current situation and assess the sustainability of tourism in the region using international methods.

Sustainable development of the region is one of the key goals of the megaproject. The purpose of our laboratory's participation in solving common problems is to implement the trend of sustainable development of territories through the synergistic effect of tourism in the context of the socio-economic development of the region, among other things. Tourism, associated with more than 30 areas of human activity, like no other area, contributes to the achievement of global sustainable development goals (SDGs) aimed at improving well-being and protecting our planet, primarily in the areas of education, healthcare, social protection and employment, as well as combating climate change and protecting the environment. The most pressing problems that the research group can help solve are related to SDG 4 (Quality Education); SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth); SDG 9 (Industrialization, Innovation, Infrastructure); SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production); SDG 17 (Partnerships for Sustainable Development); SDG 15 (Preservation of Terrestrial Ecosystems) and some others. Within the framework of subprogram 7 on "assessment of socio-economic development of the West Kazakhstan region in the context of sustainable development", material was collected and a preliminary assessment of the tourism potential of the natural and recreational resources of the project area was carried out as a basis for the formation of sustainable tourism at the regional level. In addition, cultural and historical sites of West Kazakhstan were studied on the ground, which play an important role in patriotic education and are capable of acting as independent components of the regional tourism product.

In accordance with the expedition plan agreed upon with local partners, the scientific expedition group began its research in the Aktobe region. Before the start of the field trips, meetings were held with the Deputy Head of the Entrepreneurship Department of the Aktobe region Duman Dauletiyarov and the Head of the Tourism Department of the Entrepreneurship Department of the Aktobe region Auez Aryzgulov. During the meetings, the parties identified the most pressing tasks for joint solution, noting the importance of sustainable tourism development in the region. The parties agreed to continue working together on the basis of the agreed work plan. After specifying the objects of primary interest and the logistical ground for the upcoming work, the expedition members, together with employees of local executive bodies, visited the iconic sights of the city of Aktobe, as well as the promising objects in the region: a monument to the victims of the repressions of the 1930-50s in Tuyetobe, the Ardagym peasant farm, the Kargaly reservoir, the Wolf waterfall and the Mute village. The researchers also visited the regional center for patriotic education "Aliya", located in the aul of Aliya in the Kobda district, the house-museum of the Hero of the Soviet Union Aliya Moldagulova in her native village of Bulak, and the mausoleum of the people's batyr Isatay Taymanuly.

On July 21-23, the research continued in the West Kazakhstan region. During the work, the expedition members visited five districts of the region and got acquainted with promising tourist sites. Among the unique sites that have a direct connection to sustainable tourism, it is worth noting the archaeological excavations on the Taqsay-2 burial mounds, where stripping work is currently underway under the supervision of Yana Lukpanova, a researcher at the West Kazakhstan Regional Museum of History and Local Lore; the Terekty District Museum of Local Lore; the Dubrava State Nature Reserve; Mount Toryatbas; the Kyz Auliye waterfall; the Sarykol salt lake; the Akkum sands; the Kunyskerey cave and the mausoleum of Zhumagazy Khazret, who is popularly called Dadem Ata.

During the field trips, the researchers got acquainted in detail with the condition of the objects, carried out their geo-referencing on the ground using GPS (the coordinates will subsequently be included in the electronic database for creating tourist maps), assessed the current state of the tourist infrastructure, which, in most cases, either requires significant modernization or is completely absent. In order to visualize the situation at potentially key tourist sites, photo and video recording was carried out, including using a drone.

Of course, the city of Uralsk itself has high tourist potential - as a historical center, which is the "western gate" of Kazakhstan. The city "breathes" history and is filled with interesting historical sites, most of which meet the requirements of the "tourist show". Before getting acquainted with the tourist attractions of the city of Uralsk, the expedition participants met with the head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Industrial and Innovative Development of the West Kazakhstan Region, Nurzhan Utepbayev. During the conversation, issues of realizing the tourist potential and the main problems hindering it were discussed. The parties agreed that when planning tourism development, issues of territorial sustainability should be a top priority. The importance of state participation in solving infrastructure problems, stimulating business for tourism development and attracting domestic and foreign tourists to the region was noted. The conversation was held in a constructive manner.

Aibulat Shamuratovich Kurumbayev, director of the private "Fund for Assistance to Scientific Research", provided great assistance in familiarizing us with the sights of the region. As a volunteer guide, he traveled with us for hundreds of kilometers along steppe roads and off-road. Upon returning to the city, a memorable meeting took place at the regional Center for Children and Youth Tourism and Ecology. Today, it is the largest and most authoritative in the republic. This is the very basis on which it is possible to plan personnel training, solve issues of environmental education and sustainable tourism development in the region. On the same day, a thematic meeting was held live on the regional TV channel "Aqjaiyq", where the expedition participants spoke in detail about its goals and objectives, the importance of developing sustainable tourism in the region, the megaproject as a whole, and shared their vision of solving key problems taking into account the principles of the SDGs.

From July 25 to 27, the work of the scientific expedition continued in the Atyrau region. Before the field trips, a working meeting was held with the Deputy Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Industry of the Atyrau Region Karlygash Bekbaeva, where the parties exchanged views on the current state of the tourism industry. The partners provided assistance in accompanying and organizing visits to natural and recreational sites in the region, organizing interviews on the goals and objectives of the project on television.

Among the natural and historical-cultural sites that have good prospects for attracting both foreign and domestic tourists, which were visited by scientists, were: the salt lake Inder in the Inderbor district; State Nature Reserve "Akzhayik", located in Makhambet district and partly in the suburbs of Atyrau; State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve "Saraishyk" in Makhambet district; Valley of Lotuses on the Kigach River in Kurmangazy district, which is the northernmost point of lotus blooming; tourist attractions of the city of Atyrau.

The final part of the expedition research is related to the Mangistau region and the city of Aktau. The territory is characterized by the largest tourist flow, in comparison with other regions of the West Kazakhstan region. A unique set of historical, cultural and natural sites makes it very attractive for tourists. It is no coincidence that in June 2024, at a meeting on tourism development, the President of the country, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking about the development of the most promising tourist sites that should become the hallmark of Kazakhstan's tourism at the global level, mentioned the beach tourism of Mangistau. He proposed to attract world brands and franchises of the hotel and restaurant business to the Mangistau region, to revise the general plan of Aktau, taking into account the development of the resort along the coastline following the example of the cities of Dubai and Baku. In connection with the instructions of the President, it is planned to expand the staff of tourism specialists in the relevant department and attract additional investments, primarily in infrastructure development.

In addition to the sea coast, which has recently become especially popular among domestic and foreign tourists, from July 29 to August 1, the scientific group got acquainted with a number of well-known and promising tourist sites in the region that form the main tourist flow. There are interesting natural sites, historical monuments that can be classified as sacred tourism sites, and pilgrimage sites on the territory of the region. The most significant of them were visited by the expedition members: Tuzbair sor, Kogez ethno-village, Sherkala mountain, Torysh tract, Karagiye depression, Shopan ata and Beket ata underground mosques, Bozzhyra tract, where they got acquainted with the current state of the sites, carried out their GPS-referencing and photo fixation, interviewed tourists and tourism workers, studied the logistics of tourist routes and the state of the tourist infrastructure. At the end of the work, a visit to the museum, tourist sites, and the tourist infrastructure of the city of Aktau was organized.

Since the expedition was the first stage of field research to assess the sustainability of tourism development within the megaproject, the main result is determined by the factual material collected for analysis, establishing direct contacts with stakeholders, identifying key problems and factors affecting sustainable tourism and their connection with the Sustainable Development Goals. The primary material, after processing and interpretation, will be used in the preparation of scientific publications and tourist mapping of the project territory.

1. Conversation on the “AQJAIYQ” TV about the tourism in the region: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/bFacKHesTBcP73xR/?mibextid=WC7FNe
2. Interview for the Atyrau regional news: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLFo2B3SO4g&t=541s