Chinese tourist arrivals to Uzbekistan surge 3.5-fold in early 2026

Since the beginning of 2026, the number of foreign tourists visiting Uzbekistan has increased by 33% compared to the same period last year.

According to Caliber.Az, citing local media, the National Statistics Committee reported that in January–February, 1.776 million foreign citizens entered the country for tourism purposes — 441,000 more than a year earlier.

Top source countries by number of visits:

• Kyrgyzstan — 521,100 (+23.3%)
• Tajikistan — 469,000 (+16.8%)
• Kazakhstan — 386,200 (+94%)

Russia also recorded growth, with 123,300 visits (+36%). Uzbekistan received 83,600 tourists from Afghanistan (+2.2%) and 51,200 from Turkmenistan (+4.8%).

A particularly sharp increase was observed in the number of tourists from China — 49,080 visitors, which is 3.5 times higher than last year. This surge is linked to the introduction of a visa-free regime.

Uzbekistan welcomed 24,200 tourists from Türkiye (+7.5%), while arrivals from India totalled 9,400, marking a decrease of 8.6%. South Korea rounds out the top ten with 5,398 visits (+2%).

In total, Uzbekistan was visited by approximately 11.7 million foreign citizens in 2025. China showed the highest growth rate, with tourist numbers nearly quadrupling compared to 2024.