TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 16. As per Uzbekistan's estimates, a total of 7 million tourists will visit the country this year and there are plans to increase this figure to 15 million by 2030, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said, Trend reports.
He made the remarks during his opening speech within the framework of the 25th session of the General Assembly of UNWTO on October 16 in Uzbekistan’ Samarkand.
The president noted that the number of foreign tourists arriving in Uzbekistan has increased by 2 times in 2023, and the revenues from the export of tourist services increased by 4 times.
“The number of Japanese tourists visiting Uzbekistan increased by 5 times in 2023. Visitors from India and Italy have also shown a significant interest in the country, with a remarkable 3.5-fold increase in their numbers. The volume of the US tourist influx to Uzbekistan has also seen a twofold increase,” he said.
Mirziyoyev also noted that more than $1 billion worth of investments have been directed to improve the tourist infrastructure of Samarkand.
“The Silk Road International Tourist Center, which is currently hosting the forum, represents one of these significant initiatives. Furthermore, to guarantee the security of visitors, a dedicated tourist police force has been established,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the 25th session of the General Assembly of UNWTO is being held in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand from October 16 through October 20.
The Investment Forum organized within the framework of UNWTO is expected to attract attention to many important business agreements on the presentation of territories and projects with high investment potential in all regions of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan has also been elected as a member of the UNWTO Affiliate Members Committee for the period from 2023 through 2027. This committee, comprising over 500 private organizations and tourism associations worldwide, presents broad opportunities for the development of this sector in Uzbekistan.