Governance Barriers to Sustainable Tourism Development in Almaty City and Region: Evidence from Stakeholder Interviews (2018 and 2024) Conducted in Kazakhstan

Mereke Sakypbek, Zhanna Assipova (), Lynn Minnaert, Meirzhan Yessenov () and Aliya Aktymbayeva
Additional contact information
Mereke Sakypbek: Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Zhanna Assipova: Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Lynn Minnaert: School of Hospitality, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO 80204, USA
Meirzhan Yessenov: Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
Aliya Aktymbayeva: Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan

Tourism and Hospitality, 2025, vol. 6, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Tourism is a rapidly growing sector in Kazakhstan, yet Almaty city and its surrounding region have experienced stagnant growth despite rich natural and cultural assets. This study identifies governance-related barriers that impede sustainable tourism development and effective stakeholder participation. Using a mixed-methods design centered on semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from government, business, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization), and community organizations conducted in 2018 and 2024, and supplemented by PEST (Political, Economic, Sociocultural, and Technological factors) analysis and stakeholder mapping, we distill recurring constraints and opportunities. The findings show that, while digitalization, through digital platforms, improved some administrative processes by 2024, the fundamental obstacles identified in 2018 remained largely unchanged. Three core constraints persisted across both periods: fragmented institutional governance, prolonged and opaque permitting procedures that deter investment, and a deep-seated lack of trust between the private sector and public authorities. These systemic failures continue to limit the sector’s potential, especially amid rapid post-pandemic visitor growth. This paper proposes actionable measures to address these challenges: establishing a unified regional tourism coordination authority, streamlining and standardizing regulations and approval processes, and offering targeted capacity building for SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and local administrations. Implemented together, these reforms can align Almaty’s tourism governance with international good practices and foster more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable tourism growth.

Keywords: Kazakhstan; Almaty Region; public–private partnerships; tourism governance; bureaucracy; stakeholder trust; digitalization; PEST analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/6/5/238/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/6/5/238/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:6:y:2025:i:5:p:238-:d:1789449

Access Statistics for this article

Tourism and Hospitality is currently edited by Mr. Philip Li

More articles in Tourism and Hospitality from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().