This study investigates the influence of socioeconomic factors on the creative thinking of teenagers in Kazakhstan, as perceived by parents and teachers. Creative thinking is recognized as a vital skill in modern education, yet its relationship with socioeconomic factors remains underexplored in the Kazakh context. This research addresses this gap by examining how school and family environments, shaped by socioeconomic status (SES), impact teenagers' creative abilities. Using a combination of open and closed-ended questionnaires, data were collected from 121 parents and 922 teachers across Kazakhstan. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between SES and creative thinking, with higher socioeconomic conditions correlating with greater creativity. These findings suggest that enhancing socioeconomic conditions in educational and family settings can foster creative thinking in teenagers. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for targeted educational policies that address socioeconomic disparities to support creative development in students.

An important factor in the development of tourism within transboundary territories may be unique tourist resources, or special areas. Border territories often turn into gambling zones, especially in those cases when the industry of gambling entertainment is prohibited in neighboring countries. In addition, a tourist product can be formed on the basis of unique tourist resources, united by a common idea or historical plot. You can get to know them only by traveling from a neighboring or nearby country. Tourists are attracted to the border space by duty-free trade, a large selection of goods, lower prices, convenient opening hours. On the basis of the Agreement, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic will contribute to expanding cooperation in the field of tourism in order to familiarize citizens of their states with achievements in the field of economics, social development, culture, nature and sights, as well as historical monuments and national traditions of the peoples of the three countries. The parties will cooperate in the development of international tourism on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and, in order to increase the tourist flow, facilitate the simplification of visa and customs formalities, exchange lists of travel agencies. The Parties will facilitate the exchange of experience in all areas of international and domestic tourism, promote cooperation between the national tourism administrations of the Parties and other organizations involved in tourism and its development. The parties will also facilitate the dissemination of tourist information to attract the flow of tourists through the publication of promotional materials, the exchange of information, print media, exhibitions, films and the holding of various symposia and seminars. The parties will provide mutual assistance in the training of personnel of tourist complexes and facilitate the exchange of specialists of the relevant tourism authorities, assist the relevant departments and interested organizations in the creation of joint ventures and in the implementation of other investment projects in the tourism sector. The parties through the relevant tourism authorities will exchange views on cooperation, work experience in activities in international tourism organizations.

Despite the significant potential of diverse natural, agricultural, cultural, and historical resources, Northern Kazakhstan, as well as the whole country, demonstrates the underdevelopment and unpopularity of agritourism and rural tourism. By Kazakh standards, it is characterized by relatively well-developed agriculture. At the same time, it is characterized by a monopolized rural labor market, lack of a service sector, low incomes, and progressive depopulation of the population. During the implementation of the research project, secondary data analysis (content, historical, statistical) were used. According to the study, the key factors determining the paradoxical underdevelopment of rural tourism and agritourism in a key agricultural region include the state policy of supporting agriculture, the conservatism of farmers, and passive rural stakeholder attitudes, which are influenced by the Soviet past. In addition, the lack of attractiveness of rural tourist and recreational resources in the eyes of travelers plays a significant role. To activate the tangible and intangible assets of rural areas in order to develop the tourism and hospitality industry, both administrative and utilitarian measures are proposed that can diversify the rural economy. This paper is not only a case study of tourism barriers in Kazakhstan, but a theory-informed diagnosis of rural modernization failure.

This article examines modern approaches to quality management in the tourism sector with an emphasis on the current state and development prospects in Kazakhstan. Based on international standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 18513, TQM and the SERVQUAL model, the study examines how global quality standards can be adapted to national conditions. The study combines a comparative analysis of the international and national regulatory framework, an analysis of the differences between tourists’ expectations and the real perception of services, as well as an assessment of infrastructural differences in key tourist regions of Kazakhstan. In addition, the study relies on the Butler Tourist Area Lifecycle Model (TALC), which highlights the importance of continuous infrastructure development to maintain the attractiveness of a tourist destination over time. The study also uses the principles of spatial inequality theory, especially in the context of service distribution and economic geography, to explain the uneven development observed in the regions of Kazakhstan. Combining these theoretical approaches, the analysis aims to provide a holistic understanding of how infrastructural and digital differences affect the dynamics of regional tourism and its development prospects. The study offers a number of practical recommendations aimed at institutionalizing quality through regulatory reform, professional development, digitalization, and infrastructure improvements. These measures are necessary to increase tourist satisfaction, strengthen international competitiveness, and support the long-term sustainable development of Kazakhstan’s tourism industry.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to the closure of the country's borders and social isolation of the population, which affected the decrease in loans allocated by banks to the population and business. Despite the increase in net profit by bankers, negative trends are being traced in this segment of the financial market under the influence of the coronavirus pandemic. The current crisis really has no analogues in world history, or we simply do not know about them (if, for example, the civilization that is now present on the planet Earth had predecessors). It is not like the previous ones by its very nature. Previous crises have always been based on a kind of long-term economic imbalance, but today (although with all the signs of the latter) we are faced with the coronavirus pandemic - an event whose scale and consequences turned out to be difficult to predict in principle. For this reason, no one really had the opportunity to prepare for what was happening. Temporary regulatory easing and a decrease in macroprudential markups will allow banks to gradually adapt to the situation and maintain financial stability. It is very important that banks and other financial institutions use indulgences to stabilize their financial position and lend to the economy, and not to pay dividends to owners and bonuses to management.

Despite the significant potential of representative natural, agricultural, cultural and historical resources, Northern Kazakhstan, as well as the whole country, demonstrates the absolute underdevelopment and unpopularity of agritourism and rural tourism. Characterized by highly developed agriculture, the region is at the same time characterized by a monopolized rural labor market, lack of a service sector, low incomes, and progressive depopulation of the population. During the implementation of the research project, desk research methods (content analysis, historical and genetic analysis, statistical and factual data analysis and observation methods) and semi-structured individual interviews were used. According to the study, the key factors determining the paradoxical underdevelopment of rural tourism and agritourism in a key agricultural region include the state policy of supporting agriculture, the conservatism of farmers and the indifference of the rural community, which are influenced by the Soviet past. In addition, the lack of attractiveness of rural tourist and recreational resources in the eyes of travelers plays a significant role. To activate the tangible and intangible assets of rural areas in order to develop the tourism and hospitality industry, both administrative and utilitarian measures are proposed that can diversify the rural economy.