Potential of Kazakhstan museums in the development of palaeotourism

Abstract

Museums of Kazakhstan are centres for the study, preservation and presentation of paleontological heritage of the country. The expositions of the majority of historical and local lore museums, the Museum of Nature ‘Gylym Ordasy’ and the palaeontological hall of the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan demonstrate the stages of formation of the organic world through the presentation of factual base - palaeontological findings.  This gives museums an opportunity to become a place of attraction for tourists interested in palaeontology and gives an impetus to the development of palaeotourism in Kazakhstan.  Museums of Kazakhstan possess significant palaeontological fund and have successful experience in popularisation of natural history through scientific and excursion activities. The scientific centre for the study of paleontology in Kazakhstan is the Laboratory of Paleozoology of the Institute of Zoology of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Employees of this laboratory created a database on palaeontological heritage of geohistorical space of Kazakhstan.