Organization: Kazakh Tourism National Company
Name: SERZHANULY Daniyel
Name of the program: Regional Tourism Development Policies in Central Asia
Program period: From September 4 to October 31, 2023
JICA Kansai, in cooperation with Wakayama University, is implementing the “Regional Tourism Development Policies in Central Asia” course. In this Knowledge Co-Creation Program, participants learn about leading examples of regional tourism resource development in Japan and uses them as reference points to discuss the potential for collaborative tourism development and concrete measures among the five Central Asian countries that share the Silk Road within their territories.
We are pleased to share a delightful message from Mr. Daniyel, an ex- participant from Kazakhstan who joined the first year of this course in 2023.
My Experience in JICA’s Knowledge Co-Creation Program on Regional Tourism Development Policies in Central Asia (2023)
In fall 2023, I participated in JICA’s Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) on “Regional Tourism Development Policies in Central Asia”. The program, conducted in partnership with Wakayama University and JICA, brought together 10 participants from 5 Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
This became a perfect opportunity to explore tourism development from a regional perspective. Using best-practice examples such as the Kumano Kodo Trail and Koya San, the course emphasized destination governance, cultural heritage preservation, and human-resource development.
My main expectation of this training course was to gain an in-depth understanding of Japan’s multi-level destination governance model, from the Ministry to wide-area DMOs and local community-based organizations. This knowledge proved invaluable.
Kumano kodo
Tourism EXPO Japan
After completing the program, I launched my PhD research focused on destination management, with the Japanese model as a benchmark for global best practice. Today, I am continuing this journey as a visiting fellow at the Centre for Tourism Research of Wakayama University, where Professor Yashima, one of the lecturers from the JICA training, is now my academic supervisor.
JICA’s support played a key role in my professional growth. When I joined the program, I served as Managing Director for Marketing at Kazakh Tourism National Company. Since then, I have progressed to Vice-Chairman and now Acting Chairman of the company.
Guided by insights gained in Japan, I am actively advancing destination-management system development in Kazakhstan and promoting regional cooperation across Central Asia. Through the JICA’s follow-up program, I also produced a handbook to support tourism authorities in our region. It contains knowledge I've gained from the JICA KCCP course. Currently I am planning to translate it into English this year to ensure broader accessibility.
Closing Ceremony at JICA Kansai
I am sincerely grateful to JICA for continuous support and hope our collaboration will further contribute to strengthening legal frameworks, institutional capacities, and local-level training in Central Asia. I encourage future participants to fully embrace this opportunity, learn from Japan’s experience, and immerse themselves in its unique culture and hospitality.
Japan remains a source of inspiration, and I am eager to deepen not only academic and institutional partnerships in the years ahead. I’m also planning to visit Japan with my spouse, my little daughter, who is a big fan of Japan.
On a personal level, Japan left a lasting impression on me. I have been studying the Japanese language independently since returning now for over 2 years. Watashi wa Danieru desu! Hajimemashite. Sayonara! — and I look forward to practicing it during my research trip to Wakayama next spring.
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