Transport accessibility from the tourist perspective: a qualitative content analysis of Google reviews on public transport and airports in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Purpose This study examines transport accessibility barriers in Kazakhstan from the tourist perspective. It focuses on Google Maps user reviews related to airports, railway stations, buses and taxi services. The study aims to identify how transport accessibility barriers are experienced, expressed and structured across different transport modes. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative content analysis design. Google Maps reviews related to transport services in Kazakhstan were collected for the period between December 2012 and March 2026. After excluding reviews without textual content and translating non-English reviews into English, 9,430 user reviews were included in the final dataset. The data were analysed using MAXQDA 24. The coding framework included six main themes: physical infrastructure barriers, transport connectivity barriers, economic access barriers, information and communication barriers, service quality and process barriers, security procedures and bureaucratic barriers. Findings The findings show that physical infrastructure barriers are the most frequent accessibility problem, followed by transport connectivity barriers, service quality and process barriers, economic access barriers, information and communication barriers, security procedures and bureaucratic barriers. Railway stations and international airports are mostly associated with infrastructure, capacity, cleanliness and service process problems. Buses and taxis are more strongly associated with connectivity, price transparency, payment systems and information access problems. Spatial differences were also observed. Connectivity barriers were more visible in large cities such as Almaty and Astana, while physical infrastructure barriers were more evident in medium-sized cities such as Oskemen, Semey, Taraz and Oral. Practical implications The findings provide practical guidance for destination managers, transport planners, airport authorities, local governments and tourism policy makers. Infrastructure maintenance, capacity management, cleanliness, queue management, staff organisation, multilingual information, real-time transport data, transparent pricing and digital payment systems should be prioritised. Improvements should be designed according to transport mode and city-level needs. Originality/value This study contributes to tourism transport literature by analysing transport accessibility through naturally occurring Google Maps reviews. It evaluates airports, railway stations, buses and taxis within the same analytical framework. It also provides evidence from Kazakhstan, a relatively under-researched context in tourism and transport accessibility studies.