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result in millions of inbound tourists. The 2017 Winter Universiade will
also be held in Kazakhstan, in the former capital of the country—the city
of Almaty. As can be seen, there is a strong and ambitious political will to
become a tourist “Mecca” in Central Asia.
Economic indicators of the tourism industry of Kazakhstan show a
positive trend: today there are about 1200 small and medium size business
enterprises in the tourism sector in Kazakhstan. Each year between four
to 5 million inbound tourists visit the country (Tourism in Kazakhstan,
2012). Kazakhstan's competitive advantage lays in its exotic culture, the
natural environment (ecotourism), increasing business activities (business
tourism) and sports and adventure tourism. Most Europeans and Amer-
icans value authentic Nomad Kazakh culture and vast virgin territories
(Langedijk, 2012). Under the State program of forced industrial and in-
novative development for 2010-2014, new roads, railways, guesthouses
and hotels are being constructed, while older resorts are being renovated.
Furthermore, Kazakhstan has new border posts on railways with China
and Turkmenistan. 2 Finally, Kazakhstan will form a vital part of the West-
ern Europe-Western China International Transit Corridor when it becomes
operational. Mega projects such as the “Great Silk Way” and the “West
Europe—West China” transport corridor passing through five regions of
Kazakhstan (Almaty, Zhambyl, South-Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda and Akto-
be regions) promise to further the development of tourism clusters along
these routes (Nazarbayev, 2012). The country's authorities consider tour-
ism to be one of the most important industries for the development of the
Kazakh economy.
This study aims to understand the main issues and challenges the tour-
ism industry faces in Kazakhstan today, explore competitiveness of local
tourism companies and the dynamics of changes in international competi-
tiveness of the country. The following research questions are addressed:
• What are the main issues and challenges the tourism industry faces
in Kazakhstan today?
• What are the determinants of competitiveness of the local tourist
firms—one of the key actors in the tourism cluster core?
• How can the competitiveness of the tourism industry be promoted
in Kazakhstan? What measures should be undertaken by central and
local governments in order to attract more tourists to Kazakhstan?
• What are the dynamics of change in international competitiveness of
the tourism industry of Kazakhstan?
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