The Natural Potential of the Sharyn River Basin as the Basis for Developing Health Tourism in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The paper analyzes the tourist and recreational potential of the Sharyn River basin, which can serve the basis for further development of health tourism centers. The research is based on field studies of landscapes conducted in summer 2019 in the Sharyn River basin. Four key sections were laid along the Sarytugay, Moyyntukay, Temirlik, and Shonzhy routes. A digital thematic map was created in ArcGIS 10.1. The landscapes of the Sharyn River basin have a significant natural potential for developing a combined type of tourism, which includes the medical and recreational aspects of providing tourism services. Transport accessibility, a long warm season, the prevalence of clear weather in summer, attractive landscapes and water bodies, and significant biodiversity make this territory a very promising place for organizing ecological, educational, and recreational tourism. The authors note that the Sharyn State National Natural Park and the UNESCO Sharyn Biosphere Reserve are located in the studied region, and this fact guarantees preserving natural recreational resources and developing tourist routes. The sparsely populated area allows to observe animals and plants in their natural habitat. The complex of the piedmont plain Ketmen allows providing a wide range of sanatorium services, including thermal waters for heating buildings and organizing greenhouses. To prevent negative consequences of unorganized tourism and justify further investments in recreational resources development, the authors provided recommendations that would ensure the sustainable development of medical tourism. This fact creates prerequisites for forming a new health and tourist cluster of international importance in Kazakhstan.