INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO TRAINING TOURISM INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS IN KAZAKHSTAN: ANALYSIS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

Abstract

This article examines current trends in training personnel for the tourism industry amid digitalization and labor market transformation. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to improve tourism education programs based on an interdisciplinary approach, professional standards, and the Atlas of New Professions and Competencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan. At the present stage, the system of tourism personnel training in Kazakhstan demonstrates that interdisciplinarity, digitalization, and a practice-oriented approach play a leading role. The findings show that educational programs actively integrate disciplines related to artificial intelligence, Big Data, digital marketing, ESG approaches, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship. At the same time, the importance of preserving and modernizing fundamental disciplines, including tourism studies, tourism geography, tourism economics, management, service psychology, and other core subjects, is emphasized. The article not only analyzes the current state of tourism education in the Republic of Kazakhstan but also outlines its future development prospects. Particular attention is paid to the need for legislative recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of tourism education as one of the key prerequisites for the sustainable development of the tourism industry in Kazakhstan.