Uzbekistan to boost tourism with $50M investment, tax exemptions, and new online platform

On July 16, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the measures to improve tourism infrastructure in the regions and increase the flow of foreign tourists.

It was noted that in order to attract foreign tourists, a special credit line worth $50 million will be opened from the Reconstruction and Development Fund to provide working capital for tourism organizations. These loans will be issued in the national currency at an annual interest rate of 17%, with a 2-year grace period and a 10-year repayment term.

Tourism sites will be established in high-potential areas based on master plans. To improve the infrastructure of such areas, 100 billion UZS will be allocated from the republican budget this year. Additionally, each of these areas will attract investments amounting to $50 million.

Several concessions are also planned for entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. Among these are exemptions from customs duties for buses and minibuses, covering 50% of the costs for tour operators and artisans participating in international fairs, and reducing the profit tax by 50% for entrepreneurs organizing business events with foreign guests.

To create convenience for tourists, a unified online platform will be launched that provides information and ticket purchasing options for all air, rail, and bus services. A system will be introduced to sell air, rail, and bus tickets at least six months in advance. Additional flights will be scheduled on public holidays. These updates will be regularly covered in the mass media and social networks.

The issue of training specialists for the sector is also important. Starting from the upcoming academic year, several new initiatives are planned in this regard.

Specifically, training programs in tourism and hospitality management will be improved based on the experiences of educational institutions ranked in the top 100 worldwide. Higher education in this field will be reduced from four years to three years. Students will have the opportunity to work in their specialty and develop professional skills directly at their workplaces simultaneously. Courses for preparing guides will be organized at Andijan, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Urgench State Universities, as well as at the Institutes of Oriental Studies, World Languages, and the "Silk Road" universities.