Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences , 10(7) Special 2016, Pages: 56-60 ISSN:1991-8178 Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences Journal home page: www.ajbasweb.com Assessment of Socio-Economic Potential as Tool for Tourism Development Planning: a Case Study Almaty Region (Kazakhstan) 1,2 2 3 2 2 Roman Plokhikh, Ruslan Baiburiyev, Viktoria Krylova, Mereke Sakypbek and Aiman Zhakupova 1Turar Ryskulov New Economic University, Department “Tourism”, School of Applied Sciences, 050035, Almaty, Kazakhstan. 2Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Department of Recreation Geography and Tourism, Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, 050040, Almaty, Kazakhstan. 2Institute of Geography, Laboratory of Landscape Science and Nature Management Problems, 050035, Almaty, Kazakhstan. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Evaluation of the social-economic potential (SEP) of the territory – an important Received 10 January 2016 precondition for working out of a plan for tourism development at regional level. The Accepted 15 February 2016 tourism and leisure industry is characterize the development of cross-sectoral Available online 28 February 2016 recreation-tourist complex (RTC); it's considered the main and difficult tasks – not only to estimate the individual components of the socio-economic potential of the territory but also find out areas with different densities of socio-economic characteristics. The Key words: article is considered the approach of the study of the social and economic potential of Socio-Economic Potential, Tourism the territory for the development of RTC, by way of using example the Almaty region Development, Complex Approach, of Kazakhstan, which allows creating a spatial (cartographic) model. Integral Assessment technology, Mapping, assessment of the territory presented as a map – a visual and the convenient basis for Almaty Region, Kazakhstan developing an action plan for the development of tourism, monitoring of the socio- economic characteristics and efficiency management of resource in research area. © 2016 AENSI Publisher All rights reserved . To Cite This Article: Roman Plokhikh, Ruslan Baiburiyev, Viktoria Krylova, Mereke Sakypbek, Aiman Zhakupova, Assessment of Socio- Economic Potential as Tool for Tourism Development Planning: a Case Study Almaty Region (Kazakhstan). Aust. J. Basic & Appl. Sci., 10(7): 56-60, 2016 INTRODUCTION nothing. An important place in researching of the spatial The concept of “Tourism as an economy sector” socio-economic potential have takes complexly and is gradually got fuzzy. The market-driven economy geographical approaches, which are particularly is not characterized by development of the individual useful for the analysis of inhomogeneous and branches; it’s predicated upon a cross-sectoral multifunctional systems. Evaluation of the social- development planning of recreation-tourist economic potential of the territory is necessary for complexes. This is due to the fact that tourism and the planning and creating of alternative options for recreation industry produces commodities (such as development of tourism, for design action plan, for food, souvenirs, special catalogs, maps, etc.) and monitoring socio-economic impacts and management services (such as hotel accommodation, transfers, effectiveness of resource use of the territory. excursions, entertainment, etc.). One of the main preconditions for the formation Literature Review: and development of recreational and tourist The problem of development of tourism as a complexes at the regional level are an adequate reason to diversify the local economy makes it very socio-economic potential. The concept of “Socio- important to assess the socio-economic potential for Economic Potential of Tourism” can attribute to the the territory. Lavrikova (2015) implies urgency of insufficiently known in the theory and practice of developing new approaches to defining the structure, tourism, because there is no generally accepted content, and methods of evaluation of social and definition, and there is no consensus about its economic potential of the territory. In her scientific composition. Researchers have provides work, she describes the theoretical and recommendations for assess individual types of methodological tools to assess the socio-economic socio-economic resources, but real examples of potential; she considered Central Federal District of assess technology to overall capacity are little or Russia as an example. Kluchnikova et al . (2013) Corresponding Author: Ruslan Baiburiev, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Department of Recreation Geography and Tourism, Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, 71 Al-Farabi ave., 050040, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Phone: +7(702)5310149; E-mail: [email protected] 57 Roman Plokhikh et al , 2016 Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 10(7) Special 2016, Pages: 56-60 noted the relationship of prerequisites and 19 administrative territorial units, it is also consequences of tourism for developing region. Their including the largest in the republic Almaty research shows that the socio-economic potential – agglomeration (Brochure “Regions of Kazakhstan“, the basis of development of tourism, which has a 2015). The territory has a very difficult topography. large multiplier effect on all areas of the region. The north part of the region is limited by southern Tretyakova et al . (2014) examined the social and coast of the large intracontinental Balkhash lake economic relations that determine the processes and (area about 16.9 km 2). The northern part of the regularities of formation and development of the region represented by weakly sloping aeolian plain – employment potential of the territory. Zhetysu, which have 300–500 m ALT. The southern Repova and Lobanova (2015) conclude that the and eastern parts of the region represented by the regions are very different by a range of factors of foothill and mountain landscapes of Ile Alatau development, so there is a need to identify (Talgar peak, 4973 m), Zhetysu Alatau (Besbakan competitive socio-economic benefits. They constitute Mountain, 4622 m), Ketmen or Uzynkara (Mount indicators of social and economic potential, which Heaven, 3652.8 m). can be studied by using analytical and typological From the southeast to the northwest the territory groups, methods of ranking, correlation and crosses by the valley of the Ile river and in the central regression analysis. Vasconez and Aranda (2015) part, there put up one of the largest water reservoirs reviewed the strategy for socio-economic in Kazakhstan – Kapshagay (water-surface area – development of the territory from the perspective of 1874 km 2, length – 80 km, width – 40 km) (Regions diagnosis of conditions for the development of of Kazakhstan, 2014). Foothills – the most sustainable tourism. The special attention they give comfortable area based on natural characteristics, so to the following methods: analysis and synthesis, it is highly urbanized territories. The total population inductive-deductive, historical and logical methods, of Almaty region against 01.09.2015 was 3,629,623 expert judgment, external and internal factors people, or 20.6 % of the Kazakhstan's total evaluation (EFE and EFI), SWOT analysis, strategic population (Country population, 2015). The assessment, action position (LEEP), descriptive development of tourism in the Almaty region defined statistics. Rafsanjani and Bakillah (2013) on the by one of the top long-term priorities. The example of OpenStreetMap have shown that the area importance of problems solving increases in the task with a high density of socio-economic characteristics of developing the tourism infrastructure near the can be used for the diagnosis of spatial development international transport corridor “Western Europe – potential of the territory. In a study of Parwez (2013), Western China“. he discloses the relationship between tourism As a source of initial information, we used development and socio-economic indicators, by statistics, library books and journals, analytical and using a highly urbanized territory of Delhi as an cartographic material. example. The methodological basis of the work was The researchers are used a comprehensive the analysis of secondary data, literature review and approach to study socio-economic potential for the visits to representative sites. Balakina et al . (2015) territory of the RTC development as combination of reviewed the existing models for the balanced resources and enterprises that make sure production development of the region. They used a factor of a range of tourist products. We used following analysis and expert assessment of the social and scientific methods: description, scientific abstraction economic infrastructure for the planning of a special and ascent from the particular to the general, cluster. According to SEQUOIA methodology comparison, analogy, analysis and synthesis, (Passani et al ., 2014) for the assessment of area extrapolation to the entire territory of the regularities development plan should be optimized for the which identified in the model plots. From the institutional, organizational and epistemological particular methods, we used statistical analysis, claims. Therefore, special attention should give to computer information processing technology and studying socio-economic characteristics (potential) produce quantitative indicators for the subjects of the of territory. The paper describes the sequence of socio-economic sphere, standardization and grading