EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF KAZAKHSTAN'S ETHNOCULTURAL HERITAGE ON TOURISM BRAND FORMATION

Abstract

This study empirically examines how Kazakhstan's ethnocultural heritage contributes to tourism brand formation. It assesses the relationships of perceived ethnocultural value, authenticity, heritage interpretation quality, and digital presentation with brand attractiveness and intention to visit. The analysis uses survey data from 80 respondents selected through purposive sampling and occupational-status quotas. The sample included students, employees, tourism professionals, entrepreneurs, academics and researchers, and respondents in other occupational categories. A structured questionnaire comprising 24 items measured on a five-point Likert scale was used. The analyses included descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, Spearman's rank correlation, exploratory factor analysis, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis H test, and hierarchical regression. Authenticity was the strongest predictor of brand attractiveness (β = 0.33; p = 0.002), followed by interpretation quality (β = 0.29; p = 0.006), perceived ethnocultural value (β = 0.24; p = 0.018), and digital presentation (β = 0.19; p = 0.041). The final model explained 64% of the variance in brand attractiveness. The findings indicate that ethnocultural heritage can function as a valuable resource for tourism branding when authentic content is supported by high-quality interpretation and coherent digital communication.

The study also offers practical recommendations for tourism authorities, museums, tourist information centres, ethno-village projects, and regional destination-marketing organisations. It recommends developing interpretation standards, creating digital content for specific audiences, and combining visitor feedback with digital analytics in monitoring systems.