Comparative Analysis of Tourism Competitiveness in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: Case Studies Across Macro, Meso, and Micro Levels
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51699/cajitmf.v5i8.1313Keywords:
tourism competitiveness, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, TTDI, comparative case study, cluster theory, macro-meso-micro framework, Central AsiaAbstract
This article presents a comparative analysis of tourism competitiveness in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, structured across the macro, meso, and micro levels of an integrated assessment framework developed in the author's prior research. At the macro level, the two countries' positions in the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024 are compared (Uzbekistan 78th, Kazakhstan 52nd of 119 economies), alongside national tourism-policy instruments such as visa liberalization and strategic growth targets. At the meso level, regional cluster cases are examined — Uzbekistan's Samarkand–Bukhara–Khiva Silk Road heritage corridor and Kazakhstan's Oi-Qaragai ski cluster in Almaty Region — applying Porter's cluster theory. At the micro level, enterprise- and operator-level indicators are compared, including the author's own KOKTP/TKKBK calculator methodology and Kazakhstan's accommodation-sector statistics, alongside a bilateral case — the Jibek Joly cross-border tourist train connecting Almaty, Turkistan, and Tashkent — illustrating that regional cooperation can enhance competitiveness for both countries rather than functioning as a zero-sum contest. The findings suggest complementary strengths: Kazakhstan leads in absolute macro-level positioning and large-scale cluster investment, while Uzbekistan shows the faster relative improvement trajectory and a denser concentration of UNESCO heritage assets.
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