The event that changed the perception of the possibilities of technology in tourism took place from November 30 to December 2, 2023 at Yessenov University. The hackathon, organized by NC Kazakh Tourism JSC in cooperation with the International Technopark of IT Startups Astana Hub, gathered more than 70 participants and 180 spectators, the Center for Public Communications reports.

The growth in the number of hackathon participants this year shows a significant interest in the development of IT solutions in tourism and the willingness of young professionals to implement innovative ideas.

"Striving for innovation and talent development are the key priorities of our company. We are proud that we can contribute to the development of tourism in Kazakhstan, especially in such a unique region as the Mangystau region. Our task is to ensure safety and a high level of service for tourists, while promoting the rich culture and traditions of our country," said Alisher Tursin, Chief Manager of the Digitalization Department of NC Kazakh Tourism JSC.

"The hackathon held by NC Kazakh Tourism JSC in cooperation with Astana Hub has become not just a competition, but a real field for demonstrating the creative potential of young talents of the Mangystau region. The participants, representing various educational institutions, proposed a number of innovative projects, each of which was distinguished by its unique approach to solving urgent problems in the field of tourism," she added Aigerim Mazhtai, regional representative of Astana Hub in Mangystau region.

One of the striking results of the hackathon were prototypes of mobile applications developed for travel. These applications included not only standard route planning and booking functions, but also innovative solutions such as AI support in choosing destinations, interactive maps with recommendations of local attractions and even integrated security systems. This shows the deep understanding of the needs of modern travelers by young developers and their desire to create comprehensive, convenient and safe travel.

Projects involving the use of drones to ensure the safety of tourists attracted special attention from participants and experts. These systems are designed to monitor tourist routes, respond promptly in emergency situations, and even search for people in hard-to-reach places using thermal imaging and other technologies. Such technologies highlight the importance of innovations in the field of safety and rescue operations, demonstrating the desire of young developers to increase the level of safety in tourism.

The total prize fund of the hackathon amounted to 3 million tenge, with the allocation of 1.5 million tenge for the first place, 1 million tenge for the second and 500 thousand tenge for the third.

The Techies team (Yessenov University) became the winner of the hackathon with the FindFly project with a high-tech system for rapid search and rescue of tourists in remote places through drones, sensors, thermal imagers and communications equipment. The second place was taken by the Kublitter team (Yessenov University) with the DeadEnd project, aimed at organizing safe travel with the ability to create a personal profile in a mobile application, create a route, send information about the beginning and end of the trip to specified contacts, SMS and SOS notifications. The third place went to the team -----, who presented the mobile application "S-Travel" with the functions of selecting tours, accommodation, entertainment, interactive map, SOS system and integrated AI.