Entrepreneurial marketing as a factor for activating regional tourism development

In the context of intensifying competition in the global tourism market, entrepreneurial marketing is increasingly recognized as a key instrument for enhancing the competitiveness of tourism enterprises, particularly in countries with emerging tourism industries such as Kazakhstan. The purpose of this study is to develop an authorial approach to assessing the impact of entrepreneurial marketing on the formation of unique tourism propositions (UTP) in Kazakhstan’s regions and to test this approach through a comparative regional analysis. The scientific and practical relevance of the study is driven by the need for objective tools to assess the level of marketing entrepreneurialism among tourism enterprises and its role in UTP formation. Under conditions of digitalization, a significant share of marketing activity is reflected in open online sources, enabling systematic analysis of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) without reliance on expert surveys or closed statistical data. This creates opportunities to study entrepreneurial behavior through digital footprints. The objects of the study are small and medium-sized tourism enterprises in Kazakhstan, while the subject is their entrepreneurial marketing activity in the digital environment. Methodologically, the study develops and applies the Entrepreneurial Marketing Innovativeness Index (EMI), an integrated indicator based on content analysis of publicly available digital information. The results indicate that enterprises with higher marketing innovativeness demonstrate greater product diversification, more active use of digital promotion channels, and more stable customer flow growth, confirming the critical role of entrepreneurial marketing in strengthening regional tourism competitiveness.

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