New projects in culture and tourism considered

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on the progress of ongoing work and new projects in the cultural and tourism sectors.

First, a project to construct a new Silk Road Museum in Samarkand on a 9-hectare site was considered. According to the project, the museum’s exhibition will bring together more than 6,000 unique exhibits, including archaeological materials and works of fine and applied art. The museum will also include spaces for permanent and temporary exhibitions, a 160-seat auditorium, a children’s academy, a conservation and research center, and large storage facilities.

During the presentation, special attention was paid to issues of broader public engagement with cultural institutions, as well as to updating their content and operational formats to meet modern requirements.

In this regard, proposals were discussed for the phased transformation of 839 cultural centers across the country, including modernizing their facilities, attracting private-sector investment, and enhancing their appeal. Proposals were also heard on organizing the activities of these centers in new areas that meet contemporary demands. In general, more than 1 trillion UZS are planned for allocation to the cultural sector by 2030.

As an important task, the early identification of gifted youth in the field of art was highlighted, along with their targeted training from the early grades and, where necessary, the creation of appropriate conditions for living and creative work at their place of study.

Proposals to support the activities of the Andijan Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Tumor Dance Ensemble were approved.

The need to expand national content in the media space was emphasized, as well as the need to consistently build a database of our national culture and make rational use of artificial intelligence’s capabilities.

In addition, the introduction of a system of concessional lending to support the launch of non-state cultural organizations, state support for non-state theaters and theater studios, and the allocation of grants to them for project implementation have been planned.

It was noted that since the beginning of the current year, about 3 million tourists have visited the country, marking a 37 percent increase, while exports of tourism services grew by 48 percent to reach $1.1 billion. A target has been set to attract 20 million foreign tourists by 2030, and to serve 12 million tourists in 2026.

In this regard, the need to implement targeted programs to expand the tourism potential of each region, taking into account its specific characteristics, was emphasized.

To this end, measures were considered to accelerate the development of tourism infrastructure in the regions and to organize the sector based on project management. In particular, in 2026-2027, it is planned to begin implementing 31 master plans, create more than 40,000 new jobs, increase the number of accommodation facilities to 8,250, and raise the total number of tourist villages and tourist mahallas to 84.

Several mechanisms are envisaged to develop new tourism products and support entrepreneurship.

In particular, it is planned to compensate up to 25 percent of expenses for promotional activities aimed at attracting foreign tourists, but not more than 500 million UZS, to incentivize private entrepreneurs who have established cultural, entertainment, and theatrical programs for tourists on a systematic basis, as well as to organize practical training courses with the participation of domestic and foreign specialists in the service sector.

 The new approaches to the broad promotion of the country’s tourism potential in the international market were also reviewed at the presentation.

Following the discussion, the responsible officials were given corresponding instructions to thoroughly elaborate on the reviewed projects and initiatives and to implement them based on clear calculations and plans.