Creating a single tourist space in Central Asia under discussion

Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov met with Zulfiya Karimova, Head of the CAREC program for grant support, cross-border tourism, and regional integration in Central Asia.

The initiative to create the “Tourist Ring of Central Asia”, a tourist space uniting the countries of the region, proposed by the President of Uzbekistan at the 59th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank, was discussed.

The parties focused on implementing a unified visa system for tourists from third countries and on organizing joint tourist routes.

Proposals have been put forward to create separate corridors for tourist groups at Uzbekistan’s border checkpoints, to ensure the participation of Central Asian countries in international exhibitions within a single pavilion, and to increase the number of flights to expand tourist ties with the United States, Australia, and Latin American countries.

In addition, opportunities to more broadly promote Uzbekistan’s tourism potential through the Silk Road portal, established under the CAREC program, were noted.

Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to implement several pilot projects to develop border infrastructure. In particular, the expansion of checkpoints in the Fergana and Tashkent regions is planned. It is also planned to organize joint training programs and introduce digital technologies.

Muhayyo Toshqorayeva, UzA