00:04From expanding flight networks to new tourism experiences, Uzbekistan is transforming how visitors reach and explore the country as international
00:13arrivals continue to rise.
00:16This is Business Line Uzbekistan. Hello and welcome.
00:20Uzbekistan is seeing a sharp rise in international tourism.
00:23According to UN tourism, international arrivals were up 37% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, placing
00:33the country among the world's fastest-growing destinations.
00:36National figures show the scale of that growth.
00:40Around 7.7 million international visitors arrived in the first seven months of the year, followed by another 1.4
00:48million in August alone.
00:50Uzbekistan has also taken steps to make travel easier.
00:53Citizens of more than 90 countries can now enter visa-free, while travelers from other eligible countries can apply for
01:01an electronic visa online.
01:03Air connectivity has grown too.
01:06According to Flight Connections, scheduled flights currently connect Uzbekistan with 107 airports in 40 countries, with services operated by 45
01:16airlines.
01:17But the numbers tell only part of the story.
01:21Behind this growth are changes in how Uzbekistan is developing its tourism sector and welcoming visitors.
01:28Let's take a closer look at what is happening on the ground.
01:33Samarkand is one of Uzbekistan's best-known Silk Road destinations.
01:36Its international airport handled 1.5 million passengers in 2025.
01:42Three times its 2022 total.
02:05It's modern terminal opened in 2022, providing additional capacity for passengers.
02:11As Uzbekistan looks to attract more international visitors, infrastructure like this airport is becoming an important part of the country's
02:19tourism expansion.
02:20Across Uzbekistan, new accommodation facilities added more than 22,000 beds in the first seven months of 2026.
02:29Exports of tourism services reached nearly $3.9 billion.
02:34The government also subsidizes qualifying charter flights and selected tourism start-ups.
02:40The new Jiroli Danman Guberta train has cut the Tashkent-Hiva journey from 14 hours to 7.5.
02:47Today, we are providing service for more than 10 cities in Uzbekistan for high-speed trains, which we are going
02:54to increase year by year.
02:56One of these projects is a dedicated rail line for the passengers from Tashkent to Samarkand with a speed limit
03:04up to 300 kilometers per hour.
03:06But visitors also judge destinations by the services they receive.
03:19For others, feeling safe is just as important.
03:23After visiting Uzbekistan, I felt all the time very secure.
03:27I think the security is my last problem in Uzbekistan, feeling everywhere free.
03:33As tourism grows, Uzbekistan is also looking beyond its established destinations, developing new attractions and experiences to bring visitors to
03:43more parts of the country.
03:44Joining us now is Laibek Hakimov, advisor to the chairman of Uzbekistan's tourism committee.
03:50Mr. Hakimov, what measures is Uzbekistan taking to make the country easier and more appealing to travel to?
03:57We for others, tourism, tourism, culture, turism and maritales are over the dollar side.
04:00We are merely in the country of Uzbekistan.
04:03We have a largeolaabo, and a largeola, and we really want the peace in Uzbekistan to leave.
04:06Our neighbor is the name of Uzbekistan, and will have a great result for the people of Uzbekistan,
04:10Uzbekistan and Uqbala, Uzbekistan areuffy then there, thus, there's a great pleasure to have that.
04:13We will provide the country of Uzbekistan for the year, in 2010 and to 2.25.
04:17We are planning on Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan for the country of Uzbekistan.
04:22We are the first to Japan, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan, and Uzbekistan.
04:47Merci d'avoir regardé cette édition.
04:51Vous pouvez trouver plus de business news sur euronews.com.
04:54Merci d'avoir regardé cette vidéo !
04:55Merci d'avoir regardé cette vidéo !
