In today’s competitive environment, innovative activity is a key for success, efficiency, and sometimes even a necessity for survival in market. The attractiveness of tourist destinations is largely determined by the level of innovation development in tourism, which meets modern consumer demands by significantly facilitating and expediting tourist services, thereby enhancing customer loyalty. The insufficient study of innovation in Kazakhstan’s tourism sphere, as well as the lack of its qualitative assessment, has motivated the choice of this research topic. The aim of this article is to identify the reserves for innovation development in the tourism sector based on the opinions of experts – Kazakhstani industry specialists. The theoretical and methodological framework of the article is based on the fundamental principles of tourism studies, innovation theories, and economic development. The theoretical and informational basis comprises the works of domestic and foreign scholars on the issues of formation and development of sectoral innovation systems. The research employs general scientific methods within a systems approach, utilizing methods of analysis and synthesis, abstract-logical reasoning, monographic study, comparative analysis, generalization, and graphical methods. The article presents the results of a sociological survey, which enabled a qualitative assessment of the level of innovation development in tourism in the country’s metropolises. The scientific significance of the study lies in furthering theoretical understandings of innovation in tourism. Its practical significance consists in identifying directions for the further development of tourism innovations, which may be used in programs aimed at developing the tourism sector of the country and its regions.
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