Uzbekistan is seeking to translate rising numbers of tourists into longer stays and elevated tourism income as new air routes take middle stage within the nation’s journey plans.
Progress has accelerated over the previous three years. In response to official statistics, the variety of international vacationers visiting Japan will improve from 6.63 million in 2023 to 7.96 million in 2024. In response to provisional official knowledge, the quantity for 2025 is 11.68 million, a rise of 46.8% from the earlier 12 months.
The financial worth of tourism has additionally elevated. Exports of tourism companies rose from $2.14 billion (1.88 billion euros) in 2023 to $3.52 billion (3.09 billion euros) in 2024, in keeping with figures launched by the Uzbek President’s Workplace. In 2025, exports of tourism companies reached $4.8 billion (€4.2 billion).
The numbers assist clarify why authorities are linking tourism development to elevated long-haul flights, regional itineraries and vacationer spending.
From extra arrivals to extra priceless tourism
“One among our strategic priorities is to draw extra long-distance vacationers from Europe, Asia and the Americas, in addition to to develop joint regional tourism packages with neighboring nations,” Abdulaziz Akkurov, chairman of the Uzbekistan Tourism Fee, instructed Euronews.
Akhlov stated the technique focuses on the financial worth of every go to.
“In the present day, our precedence is not only to extend the variety of vacationers. We’re equally targeted on attracting high-value guests who will contribute extra to the financial system by means of consumption,” Akkurov stated.
This method marks a shift from counting arrivals to growing the worth of every journey. The nation is already effectively often called Silk Street locations akin to Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, however tourism authorities need extra vacationers to journey past the best-known heritage routes and embody different areas on longer itineraries.
Mr Aklov stated that whereas Uzbekistan can also be selling itself as a secure vacation spot amid world uncertainty, the newest official statistics present continued development in inbound vacationers.
The federal government helps this sector by means of monetary incentives. A authorities decree adopted in June launched subsidies for tour operators and airways to draw extra worldwide vacationers. Tourism firms and accommodations are additionally entitled to a 50% value-added tax rebate throughout the summer time season.
Air hyperlinks turn out to be central to tourism planning
For Uzbekistan, attracting extra long-haul vacationers is very depending on worldwide air entry.
“5 years in the past, we operated 26 plane, in the present day our fleet has elevated to 45 plane, serving worldwide and regional locations,” stated Shuhrat Yadgalov, Vice Chairman of the Board of Administrators for Enterprise and Tourism at Uzbekistan Airways.
The nationwide airline is increasing its fleet and route community to raised join Europe, Asia, the Center East and North America.
Uzbekistan Airways has signed a agency contract for 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with choices for eight extra. Deliveries are anticipated to start in 2031, and the order is a part of the corporate’s long-term enlargement of its widebody fleet.
The corporate already operates Boeing 787-8 plane on long-haul routes. The brand new plane are anticipated so as to add capability and help future worldwide connectivity, reasonably than instantly altering present companies.
For tourism authorities, the addition of direct flights is necessary as it may well scale back journey instances and make Uzbekistan extra accessible to guests from distant markets.
“We’re strengthening direct cooperation with European nations, presenting Uzbekistan’s tourism alternatives at main worldwide tourism exhibitions, and dealing collectively to extend the variety of direct flights to Uzbekistan,” Akkurov stated.
Regional packages for Central Asia
For long-distance vacationers, direct entry to airplanes also can result in journeys to a number of nations. Uzbekistan desires vacationers from far-flung markets to see the nation not as a single nation vacation spot, however as a part of a broader Central Asian itinerary.
This might embody routes connecting main cultural websites throughout a number of nations, regional capitals, mountain locations, and historic Silk Street cities.
Aklov stated neighboring nations will proceed to be necessary supply markets, however cited Europe, Asia and the Americas as precedence areas for future development.
Simpler journey inside Uzbekistan
Bettering entry to the nation is simply a part of the problem. Even with the arrival of vacationers, home journey can nonetheless contain lengthy distances, particularly on routes from Tashkent to areas akin to Karakalpakstan.
Mr Aklov stated the speedy improve in vacationers has made the event of transport hyperlinks extra pressing.
“Transportation is among the areas that has made specifically speedy progress over the previous decade,” he stated. “However on the identical time, the variety of vacationers has elevated a number of instances. This speedy development signifies that now we have to increase our transport infrastructure and introduce new options even sooner.”
Throughout the nation, authorities are working to construct new speedy transit corridors, increase the fleet of high-speed trains and develop new airports.
The goal is to provide vacationers quick access to a wider vary of locations past the primary vacationer centres.
Tashkent’s position as a transit level
The identical connectivity drive can also be shaping the airline’s worldwide ambitions. Uzbekistan Airways additionally desires Tashkent to turn out to be greater than a vacation spot airport.
“Our aim is to ascertain Tashkent as a strategic hub between Europe and Asia and between America and Asia,” Yadgarov stated.
The corporate sees transit passengers as a future development space, and positions Tashkent as a connection level between Europe, Southeast Asia, North America and the Center East.
Yadgalov stated stronger air hyperlinks might additionally help enterprise journey and funding.
“Aviation is about pace, consolation and effectivity,” Yadgalov stated. “It is going to solely profit us if these journeys go by means of Uzbekistan.”
