Rural tourism in the Akmola region of Kazakhstan: role in the development of rural areas

The goal – is to study the current situation in development of rural tourism in the Akmola region of Kazakhstan. Methods – review of the works of foreign and domestic scientists, comparisons, generalizations, SWOT analysis. To select the most effective business models of tourism business in the region, the TOPSIS method was used, based on questionnaire and expert assessment. Results – based on international and Kazakhstani practice regarding the concept of tourism industry, the author's definition of this category is given. The potential of agritourism is highlighted and its role in modernization of agricultural sector of the region is shown, resource opportunities of rural settlements included in its administrative territories, as well as for the spread of other types of tourism, are identified. To date, there are factors that hinder the increase in the volume of eco-tourism services in the republic: low living standards of the rural population, comfortable and high-quality conditions for tourists; limited external communications in rural areas, lack of necessary transport links, sites for leisure activities. To solve the problems of tourism sector, the State is taking a set of measures aimed at increasing the amount of funding, developing new programs, and creating effective mechanisms for public support. Ecotourism has significant reserves for support and growth of small and medium businesses. The authors note that in order to expand the scale of ecotourism, external investments are required, as well as the effective tax system and legal mechanism. Conclusions – as the experience of countries with a developed agritourism sector shows, tourism industry affects the systemic solution of a number of socio-economic issues: improving the welfare and income of rural residents, weakening internal migration processes, creating new jobs and ensuring investment activity.

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