Competitiveness and advantages of Uzbekistan in the tourism market of the SCO countries

In recent years, Uzbekistan has strengthened its position in the international tourism market, in particular in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) region. Between January and June 2025, the country was visited by more than 5.3 million foreign tourists (an increase of 111%), and exports of tourism services reached $2.4 billion (an increase of 164%).

For SCO member countries, tourism is not only a factor of economic growth, but also an important tool for cultural exchange and diplomatic rapprochement. Uzbekistan stands out within this organization due to its rich cultural heritage, modern infrastructure and liberal visa policy.

Uzbekistan's historical sites give the country a serious competitive advantage in the SCO region. Cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, have become real cultural magnets for tourists. These cities are home to hundreds of architectural monuments, mosques and madrassas, markets and craft centers, offering a unique experience for travelers.

In the first half of 2025, 60 new hotels, 287 family guest houses, 146 hostels and 24 other accommodation facilities were created in Uzbekistan - a total of 517 new properties with 12.8 thousand beds. Thus, the total number of accommodation facilities reached 6448, and the number of places exceeded 170 thousand. In recent years, Uzbekistan has been actively cooperating with global hotel brands - chains such as Hilton, Intercontinental, Bentley, Bill Wyndham & Co and Azimut are implementing investment projects in various regions of the country. This has a positive impact on both the quality of service and the trust of the international community.

Also, 368 new tourism organizations and travel agencies appeared in the country, increasing the total number of tour operators to 4052. There are 3,415 tour guides working throughout the republic, and 215 new specialists were trained in January-June of this year alone. These changes not only increased the quality of tourism services, but also significantly improved conditions for the country's guests.

Uzbekistan's visa policy is also one of the most progressive in the region. Today, citizens of more than 90 countries can enter the country without a visa, and another 56 countries have access to an electronic visa. This was a decisive factor for the growth of tourist flow.

All these measures contributed to a significant increase in the number of tourists coming to Uzbekistan. Thus, in the first six months of 2025, the country was visited by over 4.3 million tourists from SCO member states - this represents more than 80% of the total number of foreign guests.

Uzbekistan is also actively promoting its tourism image in the international arena. Cooperation is carried out with such global media companies as "World Media Group", "Blue Sky", "Sky One", "Wanderlust", "Euronews", "BBC", "National Geographic", "CNN", "Travel Tomorrow", "Warner Bros. Discovery", "Saga Travel Group", as well as with online platforms "Ctrip.com", "Holiday Factory", "Voyage Prive" and others.

In 2024, Uzbekistan took part in 22 international tourism exhibitions held in 19 leading countries of the world, presenting a national stand. A number of large-scale initiatives are also being implemented in the SCO region. In particular, within the framework of the Year of Tourism of Uzbekistan in China, presentations were held in more than 20 provinces, as well as participation in tourism exhibitions and more than 500 B2B meetings. As a result of the events, 44 agreements were signed on sending Chinese tourists to Uzbekistan.

From an economic point of view, tourism plays a key role in the economy of Uzbekistan. In 2024, 591 projects worth $2.8 billion were implemented and 19,428 new jobs were created. For 2025, the government has set even more ambitious goals: attracting 11 million foreign tourists, generating $3.8 billion in tourism revenue and creating 50 thousand new jobs.

In addition, the country is implementing the Tourism 2040 strategy, aimed at the long-term development of the industry. It provides directions for the development of sustainable tourism, eco-travel, involvement of local communities, expansion of infrastructure and the introduction of digital technologies.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that Uzbekistan’s competitiveness in the SCO tourism market is ensured by a number of factors: a rich historical and cultural heritage, modern infrastructure, an active international marketing strategy, a favorable visa policy and a stable economic strategy. All this makes the country not only an important regional, but also a significant global player in the tourism market.

Umid Shadiev,

Chairman of the Tourism Committee