PULATOVA Z.T.
Caspian University of Technology
and Engineering named after Sh.Yessenov,
Aktau, Kazakhstan
E-mail: zamira1.pulatova@yu.edu.kz
Abstract. Artefacts of nomadic customs and traditions remain at the heart of Kazakh culture. After Kazakhstan gained its independence, its authorities attempted to further develop Kazakh ethnic traditions [1]. According to the Kazakhstan Ministry of Sports and Tourism, there are approximately 250,952 athletes who play ethnic sports. A good example of such, alongside Western-style horse races, are games dating back to Kazakh nomadism such as kokpar; its rules are very basic, centering around horsemen grabbing the carcass of a headless goat and scoring a goal.
This research investigates whether there is a need for Twitter-based PR to promote Kazakh traditional sports as one of the ways to attract more tourists to Kazakhstan. The research objective was achieved through mixing qualitative and quantitative research methods. The grounded theory and thematic analysis were the key qualitative approaches, as well as semi-structured interviews. Public relation theories such as Grunig and Hunt’s four models and Jefkin’s transfer process were applied to this study, which was connected to Edward Said’s Orientalism concept. An online survey was conducted in the research to help verify the hypothesis.
Keywords: Twitter; kokpar; cultural sport tourism; Kazakhstan; ethnosports; traditional sports.
DOI