ASSESSMENT OF THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF NUCLEAR TOURISM: THE CASE OF THE SEMIPALATINSK TEST SITE

The article examines the economic potential of nuclear tourism at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, a new and still underexplored form of tourism. The study provides a comprehensive assessment of demand and economic efficiency by estimating revenues using data from the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan, the National Nuclear Center, the Mayak Hotel and private guides. It employs statistical, descriptive, quantitative and qualitative analysis, field research, expert interviews and sociological surveys. The results show that, from 2022 through the first half of 2025, nuclear tourism demonstrates stable demand and substantial notional income, while facing infrastructure constraints (an obsolete hotel stock, a lack of a dedicated STS museum) and a high share of informal services. Surveys of respondents from Kazakhstan and Russia confirm their interest in visiting the STS and the high attractiveness of nuclear tourism. The authors formulate recommendations on creating a registry of tourist sites, expanding hotel capacity, establishing an STS Museum and introducing regulatory frameworks for atomic tourism.

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