Uzbekistan Tourism

In 2019, 6.75 million tourists visited Uzbekistan. The industry earned a total of $1.68 billion.[2] The tourism industry has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with both tourist numbers and revenue dropping heavily.[3] Each autumn, the Uzbek travel industry holds an International Tourism Fair.[4]

Uzbekistan is located on the Great Silk Road and many neighboring countries (including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) promote their countries based on their location along the Great Silk Road. The World Tourism Organization's Silk Road Office was opened in 2004 in Samarkand. This office was commissioned to coordinate the efforts of international organisations and national tourism offices of countries located on the Silk Road. Uzbekistan is a member of The Region Initiative, which is an umbrella organization for tourism-related entities across South Asia, Central Asia, Caucasus and Eastern Europe which is also by Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Ukraine.[5]

Uzbekistan Tourism

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The southeast portion of the country contains the western ends of the Tien Shan mountains, which attract active forms of tourism such as mountaineering and rock climbing. Most well known for its ease of access from Tashkent is the Greater Chimgan Peak (3,309 m) of the Chatkal Range. This place serves as a starting point for many routes of hiking, climbing, horse riding, mountain skiing, and hang-gliding. Uzbekistan has multiple ski and mountain resorts, including Chimgan, which was constructed during the Soviet era, and Amirsoy, which opened in 2019. Both resorts are open for visitors to enjoy during seasons other than winter.[14]

Samarkand with its Registan, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Gur-Emir and Shah-i-Zinda, Bukhara with its Po-i-Kalyan Complex, Ark citadel, Samanid Mausoleum and Lyabi Khauz Ensemble, and Khiva with its intact inner city, Ichan Kala, mosques, madrasahs, minarets, walls, and gates, are sites of tourism.

Ancient Khiva is one of the three most important tourism centers in Uzbekistan. The territory of the Khorezm Province and Karakalpakstan is contains many natural, historic, architectural, and archaeological sites. The Khorezm Province itself possesses nearly 300 historic monuments.

Tourism: The tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur. Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field. In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is typically available only in/near major cities. First responders are generally unable to access areas outside of major cities and to provide urgent medical treatment. U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance. See our webpage for more information on insurance providers for overseas coverage.

Medical tourism in Uzbekistan carries on the legacy of the brilliant physician Avicenna, who was born near Bukhara and is now considered one of the founders of modern medicine. Uzbekistan has made significant strides in the field of medicine since its forefather laid those early foundations, including many advances in the last decade alone.

Although still developing as a branch of local tourism, medical travel to Uzbekistan already has much to offer. Capital city Tashkent has several private clinics offering inpatient and outpatient services, surgical treatment and dental care at very competitive rates, with most of these clinics also accepting international insurance. Modern medical centers in Tashkent are equipped with high-quality imaging equipment and staffed with qualified specialists, including foreign and English-speaking physicians at select locations. Read more about Medical Tourism in Uzbekistan here.

After decades of international isolation, Uzbekistan, a Muslim-majority country of more than 36 million people, is seeking to develop its tourism industry, hoping to capitalise on its heritage as a node on the Silk Road.

The government is also promoting pilgrimage tourism. Uzbekistan ranked 13th out of 137 countries in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2023. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation declared Khiva the Tourism Capital of the Islamic World in 2024. With more than 1,200 shrines, the country can potentially attract 1 million pilgrims a year. Officials are working to increase flight connections to Uzbekistan from Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Middle East, train qualified guides, and improve conditions and roads to pilgrimage sites.

Uzbekistan has great potential for the expanded tourism industry. As one of the focus areas for reform and economic expansion, tourism in the country has increased fivefold over the last three years. While about 1 million tourists visited Uzbekistan in 2016, the figure rose to 2.7 million in 2017, and more than 5.3 million in 2018. The number of foreign tourists is expected to rise to 7 million by 2025, and the annual foreign currency earnings from foreign visitors will reach as much as $2 billion.

Located on the ancient Silk Road, Uzbekistan has more than 4,000 historical and architectural sites, a carefully saved and precious spiritual heritage, and over 7,000 historical monuments. These include famous ancient cities on the UNESCO World Heritage list, such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and Shakhrisabz. Moreover, Uzbekistan is a country with strong Islamic roots. There are more than 160 historically important Muslim sites located in the country and dozens of historical sites related to Sufism. Among these are the Mausoleum of Sheikh Zaynudin Bobo, Sheihantaur, the Mausoleum of Zangiata in Tashkent, the Bakhauddin Ensemble in Bukhara, the Bayan-Quli Khan Mausoleum, the Saif ed-Din Bokharzi Mausoleum, and many others. In addition, Uzbek cuisine and wine can attract gastronomic-related tourism.

Regarding tourism, chapter three of the report highlights the outstanding numbers of tourism-related projects between 2019 and 2023 and the corresponding amounts of investment that observed a strong uptrend despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though around 85% of investment comes from FDI, the number of greenfield FDI projects is still limited. The chapter also includes information on investments in innovation and the county's startups ecosystems, particularly in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry. Details about the rapid and promising development of the venture capital sector are also provided.

Moreover, associated to the reforms towards an open economy, Uzbekistan setup a range of incentive schemes to foster private investment. This report offers an overview of the Uzbek tax regime and develops on general tax incentives for FDI. It also presents a summary of the legal framework supporting the development of the tourism sector and the main incentives schemes attracting investment into the sector. These schemes encompass, for instance, concessional loans, specific tax incentives, introduction of ICT in the tourism sector, hotel development, tourism services, film industry incentives, and entrepreneurship and innovation regimes, among others.

Finally, this report portrays the commendable determination of the country in pursuing structural reforms. Such reforms have contributed to Uzbekistan becoming one of the most constant and stable economies in the CIS and improve considerably its position in certain rankings such the Doing Business and the Economic Freedom Index. Regarding competitiveness of the tourism sector, the report highlights the swift increase in the export of tourism-related services and the need for further measures to promote private investment in the sector. It also portrays the Uzbek tourism cluster, including figures about tourist arrivals by country, purpose of travelling, accommodation facilities, among other indicators.

As Americans, we are incredibly lucky and privileged that English is widely spoken around the world. Often children learn it in school, or just from watching YouTube videos. In many countries, tourism is a well-respected business, and knowing English is imperative in the industry. So it is rare to find a country that is difficult to navigate without knowing the local language.

The tourism potential is certainly there. Uzbekistan has a wealth of historical monuments, not least the towns of Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand which were the capitals of powerful kingdoms for many centuries.

Soon after he took office in December 2016, Mirziyoyev decreed that tourism would be a government priority and announced that an ambitious visa-free regime for a range of countries in Europe and Asia would be introduced from April 1, 2017.

Central Asia expert Sheradil Baktygulov noted that Uzbekistan had had a well-established travel industry back in the Soviet period. However, he said that Uzbeks should be realistic as to how far tourism could impact on the economy.

The pandemic has had a negative impact on tourism worldwide, with the closure of borders, various restrictions on the travel of tourists from foreign countries, quarantine and vaccination requirements, and other problems. Important decisions were made in Uzbekistan to support the industry through such a difficult period. At the beginning of 2020, Uzbekistan aimed to increase the number of tourists visiting the country to 7.5 million by the end of 2020; however, COVID-19 likely had a significant impact, delaying hoped-for progress in the tourism sector.

In what ways did the Uzbek government support the tourism industry through the pandemic? Starting with Presidential Decrees No. 5969 of March 19, 2020, and No. 5978 of April 3, 2020, several benefits were provided to businesses, including those in the tourism sector, during the pandemic. Tour operators, travel agents, and hotels were exempt from land taxes and property taxes until December 31, 2020, and their social taxes were reduced. The calculation of property taxes, land taxes, and fines for the use of water resources for accommodation facilities, restaurants and other entities with existing property were suspended, and no measures have been taken to collect the tax debt. Income taxes from individual entrepreneurs in the tourism sector (such as family guest house operators, guides, and artisans) were reduced by 30 percent. 006ab0faaa