11.10.2023

On October 11, under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a video-conference meeting was held to discuss the full utilization of the potential of tourist and cultural sites and the organization of the autumn season of the nationwide project "Yashil Makon" ("Green Destination").

Tourism is currently one of the important drivers of the economy, and every country strives to attract more tourists. As a result of creating broad opportunities in this field, the number of guest facilities and tourism routes in our country is increasing.

Over the past 8 months, Uzbekistan has welcomed 4.3 million tourists, and the revenue from their stays amounted to $1.4 billion. As a result of introducing additional days off and discounts, the number of domestic tourists reached 15 million, which is twice as many as the previous year.

The tourist infrastructure is being systematically developed in Uzbekistan. This year, 15,000 new guest accommodation places have been created, bringing the total to 137,000. Additionally, 540 recreational and entertainment facilities have been built, and 70 tourist routes have been opened.

Furthermore, six private airlines have started their operations, with 23 new aircraft being introduced. Twenty international and six domestic flights have been launched. The number of international flights at Samarkand Airport has increased from 46 to 85 per week. Additionally, 1,300 modern buses have been procured, and 38 routes have been opened.

During the meeting, new opportunities for increasing the flow of tourists were discussed.

It was noted that there are significant opportunities for attracting tourists from nearby countries, Russia, and China. In particular, regions of Uzbekistan have established partnership connections with Chinese provinces. The possibility of promoting the tourism potential of our regions and attracting 1 million Chinese tourists per year was highlighted.

The influx of tourists from distant foreign countries has also increased. For instance, the number of tourists from India, Japan, the United States, and Italy has increased three to four times. In Khorezm alone, 40,000 tourists from Spain have visited. However, they incur higher travel expenses as they arrive via third countries. By establishing direct flights from Madrid, tour operators estimate that the flow of tourists from Spain can be increased fourfold.

In light of this, the Ministry of Transport has been instructed to collaborate with ambassadors abroad to take measures to expand the geography of air routes.

Soon, from October 16th to 20th, Samarkand will host the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization for the first time. It is expected that over 1,000 participants from 128 countries, including 79 tourism ministers and 24 deputy tourism ministers, will attend the event.

"This event is an excellent opportunity to showcase the tourism potential of our country," said the Head of our State.

The importance of involving representatives from the tourism industry of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the regions in showcasing the history, nature, culture, sacred sites, gastronomy, tourist attractions, and routes of each region to visitors has been emphasized. The aim is to present projects and reach agreements.

Cultural events are another important avenue for attracting tourists. Festivals have been organized in Karakalpakstan and some regions at the initiative of the President. Based on this experience, the task has been set to increase the number of cultural events capable of attracting tourists in other regions as well.

The head of state has paid special attention to the role of cinema in promoting tourism. Instructions have been given to the Ministry of Culture and the Film Agency to create new films about our country.

There is a focus on improving the quality of service and enhancing the skills and professionalism of industry workers with the involvement of experts from the International University of Tourism, the Silk Road.

During the meeting, the issues of actively utilizing recreation areas and parks, organizing thematic tourist streets, and providing creative teams with instruments and wardrobes were also discussed.

The work within the framework of the nationwide project "Yashil Mаkon" (Green Zone) was reviewed. Over the past two years since the establishment of this movement, more than 1,200 hectares of green gardens and public parks have been established, along with over 1 million hectares of green zones and walking paths. It was noted during the meeting that there has been a change in society and among responsible individuals regarding their attitude toward trees.

It was announced that the autumn tree planting season will take place from October 25th to December 1st. During this period, the plan is to plant 85 million seedlings.

To facilitate these efforts, a republican headquarters will be formed, which will include the leaders of the Academy of Sciences, institutes of soil science and forestry, and forestry enterprises. They will determine the selection of seedlings based on soil analysis and climatic conditions.

The Forestry Agency has been instructed to deliver 200 seedlings to each mahalla (neighborhood) free of charge. Starting from October 15th, tree seedling fairs will be organized in all districts and mahallas.

To generate interest in tree planting, land along highways, railways, rivers, and canals will be distributed among residents and entrepreneurs through contracts, without changing the land category.

Funds from the Public Works Fund of the Ministry of Employment will now be provided directly to mahallas, which will allocate the funds for tree planting, maintenance, and territory cleaning.

As known, there are urban improvement departments in regions, districts, and cities. As an experiment, it has been proposed to transfer these services to the private sector. In this case, each street, together with its trees, will be divided into lots and put up for open competition. Responsible individuals have been tasked with developing the conditions and financing mechanisms for outsourcing urban improvement services.