Gastronomy Tourism Potential of Kazakhstan: A Research on Swot Analysis

Year 2024, , 408 - 421, 15.08.2024

Urmanbek Tagmanov , Şevki Ulema

https://doi.org/10.24010/soid.1478326

Abstract

This study aims to determine the gastronomy tourism potential of Kazakhstan and to evaluate its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within the scope of gastronomy tourism. The universe of the study consists of tourism stakeholders serving in Kazakhstan. Data were collected from 15 participants operating in various tourism enterprises in the Almaty region using the interview technique. As a result of the study, when considering alternative types of tourism, it has been observed that Kazakhstan has significant potential for gastronomy tourism. It has been determined that the strengths of Kazakhstan's gastronomy tourism should be efficiently exploited, improvements should be made to address weaknesses, effective actions should be developed to capitalize on opportunities, and measures should be taken to mitigate threats. Suggestions are presented to use Kazakhstan's strengths identified in the SWOT analysis more effectively and efficiently, addressing its weaknesses, and transforming its threats into opportunities.

Keywords

Tourism, Gastronomy tourism, Kazakhstan, Kazakh culinary culture, SWOT analysis

References

• Aksu, M., Diker, O., & Korkmaz, C. İ. (2018). An analysis of the relationship between destination marketing and gastronomy tourism. Rusev, M., Strauss, E., Avcikurt, C., Soykan, A., Parlak, B., & Efe, R. (edit.) Social Sciences Researches in the Globalizing World ST. Kliment Ohridski University Press.
• Aktymbaeva, B. I., & Trifonova, T. V. (2021). Gastronomic tourism as a way to attract attention to a tourist destination. Central Asian Economic Review, (1), 73-83 [Актымбаева, Б. И., and Трифонова, Т. В. (2021). Гастрономический туризм как способ привлечения внимания к туристской дестинации. Central Asian Economic Review, (1), 73-83].
• Antón, C., Camarero, C., Laguna, M., & Buhalis, D. (2019). Impacts of authenticity, degree of adaptation and cultural contrast on travellers’ memorable gastronomy experiences. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 28(7), 743-764.
• Atasoy, B., Şeyhanlioğlu, H. Ö., & Zengin, B. (2023). Crises and tourism an early assessment on the Russia-Ukraine war. Anais Brasileiros De Estudos Turísticos, 13(1), 1–14.
• Atsız, O., Cifci, I., & Law, R. (2022). Understanding food experience in sharing-economy platforms: Insights from Eatwith and Withlocals. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 20(1-2), 131-156.
• Baltacı, A. (2018). Nitel araştırmalarda örnekleme yöntemleri ve örnek hacmi sorunsalı üzerine kavramsal bir inceleme. Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 7(1), 231-274.
• Björk, P., & Kauppinen-Räisänen, H. (2014). Culinary-gastronomic tourism - a search for local food experiences. Nutrition and Food Science, 44(4), 294-309.
• Chernyavskaya, N., & Kauymbayev, R. (2017). The promotion of Kazakh national cuisine and halal-food. I. International Halal Tourism Congress, 07-09 April, Alanya, Turkey. PP 1255-1263.
• Hall, C. M., Mitchell, R., & Sharples, L. (2004). Consuming places the role of food, wine and tourism in regional development: The role of food, wine and tourism in regional development. In Food tourism around the world (pp. 25-59). Routledge.
• Henderson, J. C. (2009). Food tourism reviewed. British Food Journal, 111(4), 317-326.
• Huang, L., & Lau, N. (2020). Enhancing the smart tourism experience for people with visual impairments by gamified application approach through needs analysis in Hong Kong. Sustainability, 12(15), 6213.
• Karim, S., & Chi, C. (2010). Culinary tourism as a destination attraction: An empirical examination of destinations’ food image. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 19(6), 531-555.
• Kivela, J., & Crotts, J. C. (2005). Gastronomy Tourism: A meaningful travel market segment. Journal of Culinary Science and Technology, 4(2-3), 39-55.
• Londoño, M. L. (2015). Promoting gastronomic tourism to foster local development: The stakeholder’s perspective. AlmaTourism, 11, 54-74.
• Long, L. M. (Ed.) (2004). Culinary tourism. University Press of Kentucky.
• Kapital, C. D. I. (2019, October 25). Gastronomic tourism will be developed in the CIS. Such tours are developed in European countries [Гастрономический туризм будут развивать в СНГ. Такие туры развиты в странах Европы]. Business Portal Kapital.Kz. <https://kapital.kz/kapital-style/28114/gastronomicheskiy-turizm-budut-razvivat-v-sng.html> (02.01.2023).
• Lukichoka, I. (2014). Gastronomy Kazakhstan is attractive for tourists. Gastronomic tourism will be developed in the CIS [Гастрономический Казахстан привлекателен для туристов. Гастрономический туризм будут развивать в СНГ]. https://kapital.kz/business/28799/gastronomicheskiy-kazakhstan-privlekatelen-dlya-turistov.html (02.01.2023).
• Mohamed, M.E., Hewedi, M., Lehto, X., & Maayouf, M. (2019). Marketing local food and cuisine culture online: A case study of DMO’s websites in Egypt. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 6(4), 1045-1068.
• Mason, M. (2010). Sample size and saturation in PhD studies using qualitative interviews. In Forum qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 11(3), 1-13. National Atlas of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2010). Social and economic development. Almaty, Vol. 2, 164 p.
• Quan, S., & Wang, N. (2004). Towards a structural model of the tourist experience: An illustration from food experiences in tourism. Tourism management, 25(3), 297-305.
• Sandybayev, D. (2016). Gastronomic tourism as a destination attraction in Kazakhstan. Au, L. & Law, 819-833.
• Sandybayev, A. (2019). Innovative gastronomic tourism as a new trend. Evidence from Kazakhstan. International Journal of Research in Tourism and Hospitality, 5(1), 1-7.
• Santich, B. (2004). The study of gastronomy and its relevance to hospitality education and training. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 23(1), 15-24.
• Seyitoğlu, F., & Alphan, E. (2021). Gastronomy tourism through tea and coffee: Travellers’ museum experience. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 15(3), 413-427.
• Sormaz, U., Akmese, H., Gunes, H., & Aras, S. (2016). Gastronomy in tourism. Procedia Economics and Finance, 39, 725-730.
• Shakirova, S. (2015). Country images of Kazakhstan: From stereotypes and critique to positive national branding. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research, vol. 2, No 1.
• Şeyhanlioğlu, H. Ö., & Kingir, S. (2023). The effects of emotional labor and core-self assessments on constructive deviant behavior in hotel businesses the mediating role of staff empowerment. Ege Academic Review, 23(4), 543-556.
• Şeyhanlioğlu, H. Ö. (2023). Cumhuriyet sonrası Türkiye’de sürdürülebilir gastronomiye dair hazırlanan lisansüstü tez çalışmalarının bibliyometrik analizi. Kent Akademisi (Online), 16, 559-576.
• Tagmanov, U., & Ulema, Ş. (2023). A research on determining the level of tourists’ satisfaction regarding Kazakh Cuisine. Anais Brasileiros de Estudos Turísticos. 13(Regular Issue), pp. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8404339
• Tiberghien, G. (2020). Neo-nomadic culture as a territorial brand for ‘authentic ’tourism development in Kazakhstan. Europe-Asia Studies, 72(10), 1728-1751.
• UNWTO (2019). Guidelines for the development of gastronomy tourism. Madrid, Spain.
• Yerdavletova, F., & Mukhambetov, T. (2014). Restaurant market in Kazakhstan: A portrait in comparison with the US market. Business: Theory and Practice, 15(3), 269-278.
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2018). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Seçkin Yayıncılık, 11. Baskı, Ankara.
• Zahari, M. S. M., Jalis, M. H., Zulfifly, M. I., Radzi, S. M., & Othman, Z. (2009). Gastronomy: An opportunity for Malaysian culinary educators. International Education Studies, 2(2), 66-71.