Tourism

Mission to train highly qualified professionals in the service sector possessing fundamental knowledge and practical skills, competencies, and innovative approaches in professional activity.

At the international level, the program has been accredited by ACQUIN (Germany, 2032, for a period of eight years) as well as by IQAA, NAAR, and Atameken, confirming compliance with high international education standards.

Students of the program are among the top performers nationwide in the Tourism educational program (3rd place at the 2024 National Subject Olympiad; 1st place at the VIII International Olympiad on Techniques and Tactics of Active Tourism in 2025; recipients of the “Best Student of the CIS” awards in 2022 and 2024; winners of the Student Research Competition in 2022).

To prepare highly qualified specialists with key and professional competencies in the field of tourism who are capable of applying modern innovative technologies and developing services tailored to consumer needs.

At Turan-Astana University, the Tourism program offers a comprehensive foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills for future specialists. Within a well-structured and integrated educational trajectory, the program ensures systematic immersion of students in a wide range of tourism-related areas. Students develop advanced theoretical knowledge and practical competencies in international tourism; operational activities of travel agencies and tour operators; the restaurant and hospitality industry; as well as instructional activities, including the techniques and tactics of active forms of tourism.

From a practical perspective, students master technical aspects of working with professional tourism equipment and acquire skills in using specialized industry software through internships at such practice sites as President Hotel LLP (Rixos Hotel), the Center for Youth Tourism and Local History of the Akimat of Astana, the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Sheraton Hotel.

From a practical perspective, students master technical aspects of working with equipment and learn to use specialized software. An essential quality component of the program is the development of communication and marketing skills.

As part of industrial training, students annually complete internships at international hotels located in Turkey.

Classes are delivered by a highly qualified faculty, including Doctors of Science, Professors, PhD holders, Candidates of Science; an instructor in youth tourism; a Category I judge in sports tourism and tourist multi-event competitions; a recipient of the honorary badge of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan “For Contribution to the Development of Tourism”; the Chair of the Student Tourism Commission of the Federation of Sports Tourism and Tourist Multi-Event Competitions of the Republic of Kazakhstan; faculty members with extensive practical experience in the taught disciplines; authors of Scopus-indexed articles, monographs, textbooks, and teaching aids; and recipients of internal research grants.

Practical classes are conducted at the department’s branch facilities: the travel company DSTravel, President Hotel LLP (Rixos Hotel), the Center for Youth Tourism and Local History of the Akimat of Astana, and the Mumtaz Restaurant. As part of professional development, faculty members have completed research internships in Georgia, Russia, and Romania. In 2025, a multilingual group with English as the language of instruction was established.

Graduates of the program hold managerial positions, including directors of travel companies and restaurants, heads of Akimat offices; engage in academic and teaching activities; and continue their studies at the doctoral level.

According to the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs ranking, the Tourism program has improved its position by 35% compared to the previous year.

The field of professional activity includes public administration specialists related to tourism organization (ministries, akimats, and their regional divisions and structures); public and private companies engaged in tourism business; tourism consulting firms; marketing departments of tourism enterprises; tourism infrastructure facilities; and educational institutions delivering tourism-related training.

Objects of professional activity include consumers of tourism industry services (individual or corporate clients) and their needs; the tourism product; technological processes of planning and service delivery by tourism industry enterprises; results of intellectual activity; intangible assets owned by tourism industry entities by right of ownership or other legal grounds; accommodation facilities, catering enterprises, excursion service facilities, sports and wellness service providers, transport services, and other tourism industry enterprises and facilities related to the development and implementation of the tourism product; information resources and systems; tools supporting automated information systems and related technologies; tourism product design; analysis of the tourism services market and a company’s position within it to substantiate managerial measures necessary for the sustainable functioning of commercial entities.

Objects of professional activity also include research institutes and organizations, professional development institutes, publishing houses, libraries, and methodological centers.

The program aims to prepare competitive and competent bachelors in the service sector who are equipped with modern methodologies for organizing tourism business, capable of research and creative activities, and possessing both general cultural and professional competencies.

The program is delivered on modern campuses with a comfortable educational environment, comprising two academic buildings, a scientific library (with a collection of over 35,000 volumes), lecture halls, computer laboratories (over 500 computers), a sports hall, a fitness center, a choreography hall, two medical units, a student residence, and catering facilities.

Training laboratories are equipped with the necessary inventory and tourism equipment for conducting practical classes and developing students’ skills. Specialized laboratories include the “Hospitality Academy,” the “Restaurant Concepts” Laboratory, and the “Active Tourism” Laboratory.

Turan-Astana University maintains extensive international partnerships and cooperates with universities in the United Kingdom, China, Germany, Turkey, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Republic of Belarus within the framework of academic mobility. In 2025, a memorandum on a dual-degree program was signed with Belgorod State National Research University, and the program implementation commenced.

In 2023, the University introduced a module to detect AI-generated text, developed by the American company Originality, and integrated it into the Platon AIS plagiarism detection platform, thereby minimizing the use of artificial intelligence in academic writing. The University also actively implements the ROS system, under which students prepare research projects, enhancing student engagement in scientific activity.