Digitalization of Tourism Discussed at the Conference “Improvement of Digital Services and Tourist Registration System” in Almaty

On August 22–23, Almaty hosted a working session on the topic “Improvement of Digital Services and the Tourist Registration System”, organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The discussion brought together the Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports, representatives of government bodies, the tourism business, digitalization experts, and the academic community. Particular attention was paid to the digitalization of tourism as a driver of economic growth (SDG 8), the introduction of innovations and modern infrastructure solutions (SDG 9), the development of sustainable cities and regions (SDG 11), as well as the strengthening of partnerships between government, business, and universities (SDG 17).

The discussions focused on the development of national digital platforms in tourism, their integration with migration and fiscal systems, as well as opportunities for engaging businesses in joint projects. Special emphasis was placed on the prospects of the Kazakhstan.travel portal as a key element of the national digital tourism ecosystem, along with steps for its improvement and integration with other digital resources.

During the sessions, a number of current projects and initiatives were presented, including the TourismKaz mobile application, which features 3D tours, interactive maps, and QR codes. The project was presented by Aktymbayeva Aliya Sagyndykovna, Dean of the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Management at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. This initiative demonstrated the contribution of university science to the development of digital solutions for the tourism industry.

As part of the session, two expert meetings were held on the following areas:

1. Development of digital tools for tourist registration;

2. Development of the Kazakhstan.travel portal as the core of the national digital tourism ecosystem.

The conference concluded with the adoption of proposals that may form the basis for an action plan aimed at improving the tourist registration system and advancing digital services that meet the needs of the sector and modern challenges.