Intelligent chatbots as an element of digital tourism ecosystem: comparative analysis and example of implementation for Kazakhstan

Abstract

The development of intelligent chatbots is transforming digital tourism by enhancing user interaction, providing real-time information, and supporting personalized recommendations. This paper presents an analytical review of existing chatbot-based and digital tourism solutions, including international platforms such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and VisitKazakhstan, highlighting their functional features and user experience approaches. A comparative analysis reveals limitations in multilingual support, localization, and adaptive user engagement strategies, particularly in the context of Kazakhstan. To address these challenges, the study introduces a custom-designed multilingual Telegram chatbot for Kazakhstan’s tourism sector, offering localized content for three major cities (Astana, Almaty, Shymkent) and supporting user interaction in Kazakh, Russian, and English. The chatbot delivers tailored suggestions on hotels, restaurants, routes, and events, while incorporating UX principles, dynamic city-based content, and database-backed scalability. The system architecture is detailed alongside user flow analysis and preliminary UX evaluation using established usability methodologies. This article contributes to the development of intelligent tourism systems by integrating literature-based analysis with practical implementation. Emphasis is placed on localization, digital inclusiveness, personalized interaction, and future scalability - laying the foundation for integrating chatbots into broader tourism ecosystems in emerging markets such as Kazakhstan.