Rural tourism in the Republic of Kazakhstan: the use of digital technologies

The aim is to assess the potential of rural tourism as an instrument of socio-economic development of rural areas of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The study is aimed at identifying the main factors influencing the expansion of agritourism sphere. Methods - the authors used various ways of analyzing the tourism market, review of domestic and foreign literature sources. Existing projects related to the tourism industry, statistical data to determine the degree of influence of the tourism industry sector on the development of rural areas of the country are considered. Results - on the basis of international and Kazakhstani experience it is noted that, although tourism agribusiness has significant potential, its spread in Kazakhstan faces many difficulties, digital systems are of fundamental importance. Existing programs do not fully contribute to the renewal of infrastructure, there are high costs and the inability of tourist facilities to function consistently throughout the year. At the same time, Eco-Village "Toksumak" is identified as an example of effective rural tourism, demonstrating the benefits and attracting foreign tourists. Conclusions - ecotourism is necessary for the revitalization of rural settlements. It is a global trend of the third millennium. Integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) will improve the quality of tourism services and increase their accessibility. By focusing on these aspects of tourism activities, a wide network of tourism firms with information and advisory support for farmers can be created in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors point out the so-called "human resource hunger" in specialists with competencies in the application of digital platforms in natural agritourism especially in the regions. In digital transformation, it is important to set ambitious goals, establish performance indicators, and eliminate losses in business processes.