Cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNESCO opens new horizons for tourism

Uzbekistan is increasingly asserting itself as an important destination for international tourism. The combination of a rich cultural heritage and unique natural landscapes reveals the country to travelers as a true treasury of the Great Silk Road. Considering this cooperation with UNESCO takes on special significance: recognition of monuments and territories as World Heritage sites allows them to be promoted at the world level, generating interest among tourists and strengthening Uzbekistan’s position in the global tourism industry.

Today, seven sites located in the country, including three cross-border, are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Each of them plays a key role in the development of tourist routes, helping to increase the flow of foreign visitors and opening up new opportunities for business, the hotel sector, the service sector and transport infrastructure.

Thus, Ichan-Kala in Khiva is an “open-air museum city” that has preserved the atmosphere of a medieval eastern city. Walking along its streets, tourists seem to be immersed in the history of Islamic architecture, where mosques, madrassas and palaces of the 19th century coexist. Bukhara, one of the oldest cities in the region, retains the appearance of a true cultural center of the Silk Road. The Mausoleum of Ismail Samani, majestic 17th-century madrassas and minarets make the city a unique destination for cultural tourism. Shakhrisabz, the birthplace of Amir Temur, attracts visitors with monuments of the Timurid era, when the city was the center of political and spiritual life. Samarkand, recognized as a crossroads of cultures, remains a symbol of the meeting of civilizations: the Registan ensemble, the Gur-Emir mausoleum, the Shahi-Zinda necropolis and the Ulugbek Observatory are rightfully considered the hallmark of the entire country.

Along with cultural sites, natural sites are also included in the World Heritage List. Known for its biodiversity, the Western Tien Shan is a popular ecotourism and trekking destination. Here you can find rare species of flora and fauna, as well as get acquainted with the natural environment where many fruit trees known throughout the world originated. The Turanian temperate deserts amaze travelers with their extreme natural conditions and diversity of ecosystems - this destination is becoming especially attractive for lovers of adventure and eco-tourism. The Zarafshan-Karakum Silk Road corridor, connecting East and West, gives tourists the opportunity to travel along ancient caravan roads, which for centuries served as an artery of trade and cultural exchange.

Each of these sites not only forms the basis of tourist routes, but also becomes an important tool for promoting the brand of Uzbekistan in the international arena. The popularization of World Heritage sites increases interest in the country on the part of foreign tour operators, contributes to an increase in the number of visits by foreign guests, creates new jobs and makes a significant contribution to economic development. Tourism is becoming not just a service sector, but a strategic resource for strengthening the image of Uzbekistan as an open, modern and dynamically developing country.

Particular attention is paid to the development of sustainable tourism. The inclusion of natural sites on the World Heritage List emphasizes the need to take care of unique ecosystems, and cultural monuments remind us of the importance of preserving historical heritage for future generations. This approach makes tourism not only attractive for guests, but also harmonious from the point of view of ecology and cultural diplomacy.

In this regard, it is especially symbolic that in 2025 Samarkand will host the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference. This large-scale event will take place outside the French capital for the first time in 40 years. The forum will bring together delegates from almost two hundred countries of the world and will become a unique platform for presenting the tourism potential of Uzbekistan. For the country, this event will be an important step in strengthening its status as a center of world tourism and dialogue of civilizations, opening new horizons for the development of the industry and international cooperation.

Umid Shadiev,

Chairman of the Tourism Committee