Formation of Tourist Clusters in Ecotourism Centers: Case of Zerenda Resort Center in Kazakhstan

In modern conditions, the development of tourism is undergoing dramatic changes under the influence of a number of exogenous and endogenous factors. For tourists, those tourist areas are becoming more and more attractive, where full-fledged conditions for recreation in a unique natural environment have been created, considering the provision of comfortable stay. Thus, one of the directions of spatial organization of tourism is formation of tourist clusters. In this scientific work, the authors consider the issues of creating tourist clusters in ecotourism centers of Kazakhstan on the example of the Zerenda resort center. The method of cartographic taxonomy was used as the main research tool, within which taxa were identified that could form the basis of a tourist cluster in a certain geographical environment. Territorial units were included in each taxon, covering territories of the area where tourist resources are located. As a result of the study, sections of the resort area were identified, which can be covered by a tourist cluster. It is assumed that each section of the cluster has its own specific characteristics and can act as a dominant and serve as a point of attraction for tourists. In general, given that the clustering process is a rather lengthy and complex process, the authors assume that the creation of tourist ecotourism clusters can not only increase the attractiveness of ecocenters, but also lead to the emergence of new types of recreation, including in the field of green tourism.