The VIII international scientific-practical conference «Modern Problems in Tourism Sector Development» was held at the conference hall of the library of Al-Farabi KazNU. The event was organized by the Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism of the Faculty of Geography and Nature Management of Al-Farabi KazNU.

The Conference was dedicated to the 23rd anniversary of the founding of the Department of Tourism at the Faculty of Geography of KazNU. The participants remembered with warmth and respect the founder of the Department, doctor of geographical sciences, professor S.R. Yerdavletov, who laid the foundation for the formation in the national scientific school of tourism geography. Today, the Department of Recreational Geography and Tourism is the flagship of the training of qualified scientific and pedagogical personnel, specialists in the field of tourism and the service sector of Kazakhstan, which develops international cooperation, and makes a great contribution to the formation of an attractive tourist image of the country.

The Conference was attended by representatives of universities of countries near and far abroad, specialized HEIs of Kazakhstan, public tourism organizations, scientific institutions, representatives of tourist administrations.

After the greeting on behalf of the University management, the Dean of the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Management of KazNU, professor V.G. Salnikov, noting the relevance of the speeches planned at the plenary and breakout sessions, introduced foreign guests and key speakers, acquainted those present with the rules, goals and objectives of the conference. A word of greeting was also given to the First Vice-Rector of UrFU named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin to Dmitry Bugrov (Yekaterinburg, Russia), Azamat Akbarov, First Vice-Rector of the Silk Road International University of Tourism (Samarkand, Uzbekistan), Deputy Director of the Kazakhstan Tourism Association Klara Mamutova (Almaty, Kazakhstan).

At the plenary session, the Conference participants outlined their vision of problems and voiced the prospects of modern tourism. Within the framework of the scientific discussion, topical issues of the territorial organization of tourism has been discussed, including the following issues as scientific research in tourism and hospitality; regional aspects of the development of domestic and inbound tourism; training specialists for the tourism and hospitality industry; the search for innovative solutions and the use of smart technologies in the tourism business; tourist quality management services; tourism development on the Great Silk Road; and promising types of tourism and tourist activities.