Uzbekistan aims to receive 12 million foreign tourists

Uzbekistan is preparing to welcome up to 12 million international tourists in 2026, according to officials.

As reported by Caliber.Az citing Uzbek media outlets, Abrorkhuja Munovarov, head of the Investment Department at the Tourism Committee, announced the target during the VII Hotel Business Forum 2026, currently being held in Tashkent.

Munovarov stated that extensive preparations have been made across the country’s regions to accommodate foreign visitors. A total of 1,023 new lodging facilities have been readied, including 136 hotels, 528 family-run guest houses, and 298 hostels. Altogether, Uzbekistan now has 6,921 accommodation facilities offering a combined capacity of 185,600 places.

Simultaneously, the country is working to diversify its tourism offerings. In addition to established destinations such as Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva, new tourism projects are being developed in the Kashkadarya region, the Fergana Valley, and Karakalpakstan.

Government authorities continue to support the tourism industry through subsidies and tax benefits provided to businesses operating in the sector, while IT solutions and digital services are being actively introduced.

“Any tour guide, for example, using artificial intelligence, can prepare unique route descriptions for a single guest or an entire group based on their individual preferences. They can provide detailed descriptions of museums, art galleries, and other places that may be less well known but interesting for visitors,” said Maria Dergakiz, commercial director of Russia’s YES apartment hotel chain.

Forum participants also noted that the expansion of inbound tourism is helping stimulate domestic travel. Within the framework of the Travel around Uzbekistan program, residents made more than 23.7 million trips across the country’s regions in 2025.

By Tamilla Hasanova