KAZAKHSTAN’S ACADEMIC TOURISM RESEARCH: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF TRENDS, COLLABORATION, AND REGIONAL POSITIONING (2003–2023)

Abstract

Kazakhstan’s tourism sector holds significant potential but remains underdeveloped, as reflected in its 2019 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index ranking of 80th globally. Moreover, less than 5% of the country’s research and development output is commercialized into industry, indicating a gap between knowledge generation and practical innovation. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of academic publications on tourism in Kazakhstan, using the Scopus database as the primary data source. The analysis spans 2003–2023 and examines publication volume, document types, authorship, collaboration patterns, and citation and keyword trends. A total of 377 documents were identified, with output growing markedly after 2012 and reaching approximately 60 publications in 2023. Journal articles dominate (82.5% of documents), and Kazakhstan’s publication count ranks third among post-Soviet countries (after Russia and Ukraine) but remains far below Turkey’s output. The top contributing institutions are domestic universities (led by L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University with 94 publications) alongside international partners, reflecting robust collaboration (over half of prolific authors are affiliated in Kazakhstan, followed by a significant cohort from Turkey). Kazakhstan’s academic tourism research is on an upward trajectory, supported by policy reforms in higher education and science since 2011. This growing body of research is poised to inform evidence based tourism policy, foster innovation (e.g., in sustainable and cultural tourism), and raise Kazakhstan’s international academic and industry profile. The findings provide valuable benchmarks by comparing Kazakhstan’s productivity with regional peers and underscore the need to leverage academic output to support national tourism development and competitiveness.