The Sustainability of the Hospitality Industry through the Management of Tourist Flows: The Case of Turkestan

Religious and cultural tourism is considered as a strategic tool for the development of destinations, combining the preservation of heritage with the growth of hospitality and creative services. Turkestan (Kazakhstan), with the Mausoleum of Khoja Akhmet Yasawi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, presents an illustrative case study of the impact of the sacred core on sustainable demand and the local economy of service. The article uses a mixed methodology: a quantitative analysis of official tourism and accommodation statistics, digital registers of visits, and monthly/quarterly series.; qualitative data from semi-structured interviews; analysis of management documentation. The spatial focus is the core and adjacent service clusters; the analysis period covers 2018-2025. The seasonal attendance profile is characterized by two peaks and “shoulder” months, in which the programming and packaging of tourist products increase the average length of stay and equalize the load. The pressure of visitors is concentrated in narrow areas and hours; the introduction of time slots, pre-booking and “quiet hours” contributes to a more even distribution of visits without reducing the daily total. The largest density of services is observed in the core; in excursions, crafts, gastronomy and small accommodation, SMEs predominate. Policy priorities include the institutionalization of flow management tools, the development of interpretation and multilingual content, support for SME capabilities in the “experience belt” and the integration of administrative data for ongoing monitoring. This configuration aligns the preservation of heritage integrity with the sustainable results of the Turkestan hospitality industry.

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