A draft decree of the President of Uzbekistan “On the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026” has been published on the portal for discussing draft regulatory legal acts.

The document includes goals for the development of inbound and domestic tourism. It is planned to increase the number of local tourists from 12 million and bring the number of foreign tourists arriving in the country to 9 million a year within the framework of the “O’zbekiston Bo’ylab Sayohat Qiling” (Travel Across Uzbekistan) program.

The strategy involves the widespread introduction of the infrastructure of barrier-free tourism in the main tourist cities of the country. The goal is to double the number of people employed in the tourism sector by 2026, bringing it to 520,000.

The infrastructure of tourism and cultural heritage sites will continue to develop, and a state program will be adopted for the effective use of more than 8,000 cultural heritage sites.

Additional tourism and recreation areas will be built in Zaamin, Farish, Bakhmal districts and the Aydar-Arnasay lake system. It is envisaged to implement projects worth $300 million and employ 25,000 people.

It is expected that the volume of tourism services will increase at least 10 times in the next five years by transforming Samarkand into a “Tourism Gate”. Employment of 40 thousand people in the tourism sector will be provided. In 2022, it is planned to create Samarkand Tourism Center, which includes the historical complex “Eternal City” and the necessary infrastructure.

A program will be implemented in ecotourism in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the Aral Sea region. The capabilities of the new Muynak airport will be widely used. 

Tourism programs will be adopted for Khorezm, Bukhara, Navoi, Tashkent regions and the city of Tashkent.

UzA