Uzbekistan has taken another step towards increasing the influx of tourists from abroad

Uzbekistan attracts a large number of tourists every year. The point of attraction is not only the original architecture, thanks to which the republic is called the pearl of the East, but also its traditions and culture. Increasing the number of guests requires a new approach to the development of the industry.

The Presidential Decree "On measures to further accelerate reforms and effective organization of the public administration system in the tourism sector" dated July 27, 2023 is one of such innovative solutions.
In order to increase the tourist flow to the republic and ensure the provision of additional state support to tour operators, the resolution decided from January 1, 2024:
• to allocate incentive subsidies from 20 to 300 dollars in equivalent for each tourist brought by tour operators to the Republic of Uzbekistan from foreign countries with a low level of tourist flow, at the expense of the State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Fund support of tourism in equal shares;
• to compensate part of the expenses of tour operators and air carriers. the amount spent on the organization of charter flights from foreign countries to the international airports "Samarkand", "Bukhara", and "Urgench", 20 dollars in equivalent, in winter (from November 20 to February 20) 50 dollars in equivalent for each foreign tourist, provided that he stays in the territory of the republic for at least five nights, at the expense of the State Budget and the Tourism Support Fund in equal shares;
• to introduce a system of compensation for part of investors' expenses for construction (except for reconstruction) and equipping a new hotel with a height of at least five floors, subject to commissioning by December 31, 2026 at the expense of the State Budget.
Also, until July 1, 2026, for legal entities that have organized campsites and provide safari tourism services with the creation of a separate autonomous infrastructure in hard-to-reach and remote places (at least ten km away. from settlements or five km away . of paved roads), the land and property tax rate for this type of activity will be one percent of the amount.
Special attention in the document is paid to the issue of professional development of specialists and training of highly qualified personnel that meet international standards in the field of tourism. Thus, the resolution provides for the attraction of internationally recognized educational programs on the basis of a franchise. Higher education programs are reviewed taking into account the experience of reputable foreign universities that are in the top 100 of the world ranking.
In Uzbekistan, a system of personnel training is being established on the basis of three-year programs and in the form of dual education based on the "block module" system. Starting from the 2023/2024 academic year, at least 10 billion soums will be allocated annually to the International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage "Silk Road" at the expense of the State Budget for training on the basis of a state grant in the magistracy of citizens of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Organization of Turkic States, as well as countries located on the Great Silk Road.
At the same time, it is planned to establish practices according to curricula during the months of the tourist season. The salary costs of the specialists involved in this process are covered at the expense of the Tourism Support Fund.
It is worth noting that in accordance with the tasks assigned to teachers of vocational schools and universities, special courses have been organized to train guides-translators into Chinese, Korean and other foreign languages. Students study history, customs and traditions in depth, get acquainted with the architecture, legends and folklore of their native country. They are also taught the skills of public speaking. Experienced guides and employees of the sphere conduct special master classes. Trainings on the development of business plans are organized for children who want to open their own travel agencies in the future.
In the cities and districts of the republic, large-scale capacity-building activities are envisaged in the sphere. In particular, conditions are being created for sports tourism, specialized medical centers, hotels, catering establishments, retail outlets and bit services are being opened, and so on.