At a meeting on October 11th, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev discussed the potential of the tourism industry, as well as the implementation of the “Yashil Makon” (Green Space) project. Tourism is a significant contributor to the economy, and countries are striving to attract more tourists. As a result, the number of visitors, services, and tourist routes in Uzbekistan has increased.
Over the past 8 months, 4.3 million tourists have visited the country, generating over $1.4 billion in revenue. Thanks to additional holidays and discounts, the number of domestic tourists has doubled compared to last year.
The tourism infrastructure is constantly developing. This year, 15,000 new accommodation places were created, bringing the total to 137,000. 540 entertainment facilities were built, and 70 tourist routes were opened.
The meeting discussed new opportunities for increasing the flow of tourists. It was noted that there are great opportunities to attract tourists from neighboring countries, Russia, and China. For example, the regions of Uzbekistan have established partnerships with Chinese provinces, and it is possible to attract 1 million Chinese tourists annually.
The number of tourists from other countries has also increased. The number of tourists from India, Japan, the United States, and Italy has tripled or quadrupled. 40,000 tourists from Spain visited Khorezm, but they spend more money on travel because they come through third countries. If direct flights from Madrid are established, the flow of tourists from Spain can be increased fourfold.
The meeting also emphasized the need for representatives of the tourism industry in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the regions to demonstrate the history, nature, culture, shrines, gastronomy, tourist spots, and routes of each region to guests, to propose projects, and to reach agreements. Cultural events are also a great way to attract tourists.
The Head of State also noted the role of cinematography in promoting tourism and instructed the Ministry of Culture and the Cinematography Agency to create new films about the country. The task was also set to improve the quality of service and the skills and culture of industry workers.
The work within the nationwide project “Yashil Makon” was also discussed. Since the launch of the movement, more than 1.2 thousand hectares of green gardens and public parks and more than 1 million hectares of green areas and paths have been laid out. The autumn tree planting season will take place from October 25 to December 1, during which 85 million seedlings will be planted.
For this purpose, a republican headquarters will be formed, and funds from the Public Works Fund of the Ministry of Employment will be provided to mahallas, which will allocate funds for planting trees, caring for them, and cleaning the territory. It was proposed to transfer the improvement departments in regions, districts, and cities to the private sector as an experiment.
The Head of state also paid attention to the upcoming meeting of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization in Samarkand from 16-20 October. More than 1,000 participants from 128 countries will attend the event, including 79 ministers and 24 deputy tourism ministers.
The participants presented a report on the issues discussed at the meeting.
UzA