On December 4, AlmaU held an Adventure Travel Meetup dedicated to the development of Kazakhstan’s national heritage trails. It was organized by Travel Massive Almaty, the AlmaU School of Management and Tourism, and KazAlpineClub. The event brought together representatives of the tourism industry, the expert community, faculty, and students to discuss the prospects for adventure tourism development and the creation of national heritage trails.
Participants included representatives of key organizations in Kazakhstan’s tourism
ecosystem:
● Yerkin Tikenov, moderator, professor of practice at the AlmaU School of Management and Tourism, and member of the KazakhTourism Public Council;
● Diana Frolova, director of the LCREDO guide training center, coordinator of Turclub.kz, and board member of KazAlpineClub;
● Kazhym Dzhumaliyev, president of the Tabigat Association and board member of KazAlpineClub;
● Konstantin Sapronov, chairman of the Almaty Region Sports Tourism Federation;
● Alexander Pashkin, instructor at LCREDO;
● Marina Kadnikova, head of the MONTE tour operator and executive director of KazAlpineClub;
● Vadim Shklyar, head of DemAl;
● Roman Kartun, head of the trail improvement contractor;
● Alexander Khinevich, professional guide;
● Zhandos Zhumabay is the head of the CreAlmaty Foundation, an urban architect, and a producer of urban projects;
● Kasiet Omarova is an advisor to the Mayor of Almaty on inclusion issues.
Participants reviewed international models for heritage trail development and discussed the Alatau Heritage Trail pilot project, “Alatau Amanaty.” Experts presented the results of reconnaissance expeditions, route assessments, and proposals for infrastructure development, trail management, and promotion as a tourism product. The program featured presentations of student projects-more than 15 urban, recreational, and gastronomic routes developed within the AlmaU School of Management and Tourism. Students also presented concepts for tourist centers and digital services for the industry, demonstrating the practical application of their knowledge and their contribution to the development of urban tourism infrastructure.
The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring experts in trail development, urban planning, and sustainable tourism. The speakers discussed the future development, management, and marketing model for the Alatau Heritage Trail, as well as approaches to promoting and ensuring accessibility. The Adventure Travel Meetup became an important professional platform, strengthening the partnership between AlmaU, the industry, and the expert community, and reaffirming the university’s role as a center of excellence in tourism.