The changing foodscapes of Kazakh restaurants: an evaluation of international expectations and local realities

Purpose Gastronomy tourism is an important factor shaping destination competitiveness. Although Kazakhstan has high potential with its rich nomadic culture and authentic cuisine, it faces service-related challenges in meeting international tourist expectations. This study evaluates service gaps in gastronomy tourism by examining Kazakh restaurants through changing foodscape dynamics in relation to core and complementary attributes. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a multiple qualitative research design based on online reviews of restaurants in Almaty, Türkistan and Petropavlovsk and semi-structured interviews with restaurant employees and international tourists. Findings The findings reveal a clear spatial differentiation among Kazakh restaurants. In large cities such as Almaty, service infrastructure reaches international standards, but authenticity becomes weaker and turns into staged authenticity. In smaller cities such as Türkistan and Petropavlovsk, authenticity is preserved in a purer form. However, service gaps emerge in complementary attributes related to the service environment and service quality. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to both the gastronomy tourism literature and Kazakhstan tourism research. By comparatively addressing three different foodscapes, it also offers a methodological contribution to spatial diversity. Practically, it identifies service gaps related to the core and complementary attributes of Kazakh restaurants and emphasizes the need to develop city-specific policies and strategies to overcome barriers to gastronomy tourism and enhance competitiveness. Originality/value This study offers an original spatial reading of Kazakhstan’s gastronomy tourism competitiveness by integrating foodscape, the perceived attributes of gastronomy tourism destinations and service quality gap perspectives across three contrasting urban contexts.