Uzbekistan has great opportunities to turn tourism into a strategic sector of the economy and a powerful tool for sustainable growth of the people’s well-being. That is why the leadership of the country pays close attention to this issue.
Today, work on improving this sphere is carried out on the basis of more than 20 regulatory legal acts. Another important stimulus for the further development of the industry was the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan “On additional organizational measures to create favorable conditions for the development of the tourism potential of the Republic of Uzbekistan” of February 3, 2018. The main provisions of this document show the firm determination of the country to raise tourism to a qualitatively new level.
After all, for this there are all prerequisites and conditions – a unique historical and cultural heritage, masterpieces of national architecture, a unique diverse nature and continuously improving infrastructure can not but delight and not cause a desire to visit our region. And this became even easier for citizens of Israel, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and Japan in connection with the establishment of a visa-free regime for 30 days from February 10 this year. This applies to the crews of aircraft of foreign airlines that conduct regular flights to Uzbekistan.
In addition, starting from February 10, a simplified visa regime introduced for citizens of 39 states, including the European Union, East Asia and the Middle East, as well as India, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Our guests from these countries can now not provide a tourist voucher or an inviting person’s address in Uzbekistan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A visa will be issued within two working days, not counting the day of receipt of documents.
Recently it was repeatedly said that Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pursues a policy of openness to the outside world. A new step, confirming this statement, will be the introduction, as of July 1, 2018, of an electronic entry visa system. Thanks to this, every tourist anywhere in the world can apply for a visa online and get it. Undoubtedly, eliminating the main barrier for travel enthusiasts – a complex visa component contributes to a significant increase in the inbound tourist flow.
The growth in the number of people wishing to visit Uzbekistan also depends on a qualitative presentation of the tourist potential and attractiveness of the country. To this end, the National Tourism Promotion Center is being transformed into the National PR Center under the State Committee for Tourism Development. At the same time, for the worthy advancement of the capabilities of our country, the necessary material and technical base will be created, including modern high-technology shooting equipment, vehicles, creative and film crews, including those involving foreign specialists. Thus, we are expecting bright and informative materials that contribute to the formation of a favorable image of the country and will cause the desire to visit various parts of the republic not only among foreign tourists, but also the inhabitants of Uzbekistan.
This purpose is also served by the Program for the Development of Domestic Tourism “O’zbekiston bo’ylab sayohat qil!” (Travel through Uzbekistan), which provides for the organization of tourist and excursion tours around the country’s regions. The trips will be carried out for students of educational institutions during the holidays and weekends, employees of organizations – on weekends, days of national holidays and holidays, socially vulnerable categories of the population, pensioners, veterans of war and labor and other our fellow citizens – all year round with active use of the sanatorium and resort rest during the low tourist season. This is an excellent opportunity to have a good and pleasant time for the residents of the country.
To increase the number of Wi-Fi zones, a number of benefits are provided to companies creating free wireless Internet access zones in public places. At the same time, the quality of the services provided will be regularly monitored. This decision demonstrates the desire to keep pace with the latest world trends and, most importantly, make the travel of tourists around the country more comfortable and unforgettable.
