Tourists to Uzbekistan are attracted not only by Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, but also other regions of the country

Uzbekistan is one of the most attractive tourist countries in Central Asia due to its rich history, culture and natural attractions. In recent years, the Government of Uzbekistan has been actively working on the development of tourism in the country, creating conditions for attracting foreign tourists and improving the quality of tourist services.

Uzbekistan has a huge cultural heritage. Located on the routes of the Great Silk Road, the historical cities of our country have always attracted the attention and interest of not only local residents, but also numerous foreign tourists. This is due to the unique architecture of cities, the development of various kinds of handicrafts, the wonderful mild climate, delicious and unique national dishes, and most importantly - hospitable people.
Tourism in Uzbekistan is traditionally associated with the UNESCO World Heritage Cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. However, each city of our country gives many reasons to visit it: Tashkent, Kokand, Andijan, Shakhrisabz ... - an endless modern oriental fairy tale. 
Exquisite Tashkent wedding pilaf, forged by hereditary blacksmiths in Shakhrikhan knife-pichak, hand-made ancient traditional embroidery in the style of Basma and iroki, Margilan atlas, Ferghana wood carving, Surkhandarya tandir kebab, Andijan ceramic dishes, Rishtan terracotta jugs. All this is only a small part of what can be seen in Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan, every guest can choose exactly what he is interested in. There are historical sights and architectural masterpieces of different eras, including the rich heritage of Islamic architecture, bright examples of Soviet architecture, and of course, modern buildings; picturesque landscapes (highlands, impenetrable forests, mountain rivers, waterfalls, lakes, deserts with golden sands, dunes and oases); unique products of artisans and masters of the East.
The radical reform of this sphere began in 2016. According to the Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 3.7 million foreign citizens visited Uzbekistan for tourist purposes in the first seven months of 2023, 397.3 thousand of them came on vacation. The top three included citizens of Russia (137.2 thousand), Kazakhstan (33.6 thousand) and Tajikistan (21.5 thousand).
In 2019, important documents were adopted in the sphere, in particular the Presidential Decree "On additional measures to accelerate the development of tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan" dated January 5 and the approved Concept for the development of tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2019-2025, providing for the implementation of comprehensive measures to develop the industry and create favorable conditions, including in the investment and tax spheres. In the same year, on August 13, the Decree of the head of state "On measures for the further development of tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan" was signed, which approved the roadmap, which includes 65 events. 
The goals for the development of the tourism industry are also fixed in the Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026. In particular, in the near future the number of local tourists will increase to 12 million and more, and foreign tourists - up to nine million. This is facilitated by the implementation of the "Travel to Uzbekistan" program. Along with this, work is starting to promote ecotourism in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the Aral Sea region with extensive use of the potential of the new Muynak airport. Separate programs will be adopted to turn the sphere in the Khorezm region into the main driver of job creation and to accelerate the development of tourism in the Bukhara region.    
A new step in the direction was the adoption of the Presidential Decree "On creating additional conditions for the further development of tourism, culture, cultural heritage and sports" dated January 15, 2022. 
In recent years, several decisions have been made to simplify the visa policy in Uzbekistan. Among them is the Presidential Decree "On additional measures to accelerate the development of tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan" dated January 5, 2019, thanks to which 45 countries have the opportunity to visit Uzbekistan without a visa for up to 30 days. 
Moreover, a program has been developed to subsidize the construction of hotels, which started back in 2019 and is designed to be implemented by the end of 2023. In accordance with the project, the state covers the costs of construction of accommodation facilities in the amount of 40 million soums for one room in a three-star hotel and 65 million soums for four.
Also, within the framework of the Concept of Tourism development in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2019-2025, the procedure for issuing licenses for the operation of accommodation facilities in the country was simplified. As a result, the number of guest houses and hostels in rural areas of the republic has grown in Uzbekistan, ready to receive a record number of tourists during the pandemic. During the implementation of the project, large hotel complexes were opened in major cities of Uzbekistan, including Marriott, Hampton by Hilton and Hyatt Regency hotels and many others.
Samarkand is the second largest and one of the most popular cities in the country among tourists. With a rich history and culture. Its architecture combines elements of Persian, Turkish and Mongolian styles. Tourism has been actively developing here in recent years: restoration and preservation of historical monuments are being carried out, new museums and attractions are being opened. In 2021, a new airport was opened, and in 2022, the Silk Road Samarkand tourist complex.
In the rating of the international publishing house Lonely Planet, Uzbekistan was named the best tourist destination in the Central Asian region in terms of visa-free access and ease of movement. The Economist magazine has recognized Uzbekistan as the most steadily developing country in Central Asia thanks to the reforms carried out in the last few years. 
In addition, on March 29, 2023, a video conference on improving the tourism potential of our country was held under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. It was noted that the number of foreign tourists visiting Uzbekistan in 2022 has tripled compared to 2021. The industry's exports amounted to $1 billion 600 million. More than 11 million people traveled within the framework of domestic tourism programs.
The need to create programs and proposals capable of encouraging tourists to stay in the country longer was discussed. At the meeting, the problems hindering the development of the industry were critically analyzed.
It was noted that five new private airlines have been created in recent years, the country's fleet has increased to 44 aircraft. Last year, the number of weekly flights increased from 46 to 78, and the number of passengers - from 6.5 thousand to 10 thousand people.
To improve the development of domestic tourism, it was instructed to purchase 20 more modern aircraft by the end of the year and increase air transportation. It was noted that part of the cost of air tickets for some routes will be subsidized. Eight electric trains will also be purchased this year. Tour operators, hotels and carriers will receive customs privileges when importing vehicles with ten or more seats.
It is also important that due to the creation of ample opportunities, the number of hotel beds has doubled over the past five years, reaching 60 thousand. The Head of State stressed the need to attract foreign consulting companies, bring conditions in hotels to the level of international standards, allocate additional credit resources for them.
The meeting also discussed the content of tourist programs. It was emphasized that every extra day that tourists spend in Uzbekistan increases the annual export of tourism by $ 300 million.
It is noteworthy that a session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization will be held in Samarkand this year. In order to promote the rich cultural and tourist potential of the country abroad and attract tourists through marketing and advertising, 100 billion soums have been allocated. The importance of developing a "Business card of Uzbekistan", updating the tourist brand, increasing advertising on international TV channels and Internet sites was noted.
In order to develop the tourism sector of Uzbekistan, on July 27, 2023, the Presidential decree "On measures to further accelerate reforms and effective organization of the public administration system in the tourism sector" was adopted, which provides for improving the tourist infrastructure by attracting additional investments in the tourism sector and creating favorable conditions for the private sector, increasing employment, expanding transport routes, strengthening the popularization of the tourism potential of the republic in the domestic and foreign markets, as well as the introduction of new procedures in the public administration of this area.
In particular, from January 1, 2024, it is planned to:
• allocate incentive subsidies from $ 20 to $ 100 for each tourist brought by tour operators to the Republic of Uzbekistan from foreign countries with a low level of tourist flow;
• to compensate part of the expenses of tour operators and air carriers spent on the organization of charter flights from foreign countries to the international airports of Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench in the amount of $ 20 in the normal period and $ 50 in winter (from November 20 to February 20) for each foreign tourist, provided he stays in the country for at least five nights;
• to compensate part of the investors' expenses for the construction (with the exception of reconstruction) and equipping of a new hotel with a height of at least five floors, subject to commissioning by December 31, 2026. 

From January 1, 2024, the Program "Tourism without barriers" will be implemented, aimed at creating comfortable conditions for travel of persons with disabilities. Within the framework of the "Travel for All" project, free trips to tourist cities of our country will be organized annually for people with disabilities from all over the republic. Mechanisms will also be introduced to create the necessary infrastructure at tourism, cultural heritage sites, concert and entertainment facilities, car and railway stations, airports for unhindered movement.
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, the property tax rates for this type of activity and land tax levied on legal entities are set at one percent of the amount accrued on these taxes.
At the present stage, tourism plays an increasingly prominent role in the economy. The pace of development of the tourism industry is steadily growing, including thanks to such decisions of the leadership of Uzbekistan.