Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea expand cooperation in tourism

Uzbekistan is becoming an increasingly sought-after destination for international travel. From January to July 2026, the country welcomed around 7.75 million foreign tourists — up 22.6 percent year-on-year. Over the same period, tourism service exports reached roughly $3.9 billion. Against this backdrop, the Republic of Korea remains one of the leading long-haul markets for Uzbekistan's tourism industry.

Interest among Korean travelers in Uzbekistan continues to grow. In January–July 2026, Korea ranked third among long-haul markets by number of tourists visiting Uzbekistan, behind only China and Turkey. During this period, 26,500 tourists arrived from the Republic of Korea. Current figures already exceed pre-pandemic levels: Uzbekistan was visited by 35,500 Korean citizens in 2019, 41,300 in 2024, and 46,300 in 2025 — almost a third more than in 2019.

Behind this growth lie concrete changes. Korean travelers don't need to arrange a visa in advance: a 30-day visa-free regime has been in place for them since February 2018. Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea are connected by direct flights. Together, visa-free travel and direct air links make trips between the two countries considerably more accessible and convenient.

But accessibility is only one side of the equation. To encourage more travelers to choose Uzbekistan, the country needs a real presence on the Korean tourism market itself — working with tour operators, clear itineraries and offers, destination promotion, and service that meets guests' expectations.

That's why direct ties between the tourism businesses of the two countries are becoming increasingly important. In October 2024, the Uzbek-Korean Tourism Forum in Seoul brought together more than 100 industry representatives. Uzbekistan presented its cultural heritage and tourism potential, while Uzbek tour operators and airlines showcased routes and offers for the Korean market. B2B meetings were a central part of the program, allowing companies from both countries to discuss trip organization to Uzbekistan directly.

This work is set to continue through closer engagement with the Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA). Initiatives under consideration include joint events involving the tourism business community and promotion of Uzbekistan as a tourism destination in the Republic of Korea. In turn, Korean companies are expected to be drawn more actively into the Tashkent International Tourism Fair (TITF).

There's also a less visible but no less important part of the cooperation — service quality. To work with the Korean market, Uzbekistan needs specialists who speak the language and better understand guests' needs. Currently there aren't enough such guides, which is why expanding their training has been singled out as a separate area of future work.

Here, the Republic of Korea could become not just a source of tourists but a partner in developing the industry itself. Together with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), plans under discussion include bringing Korean experts into Uzbekistan's tourism education institutions, training and experience exchange, and organizing training programs for specialists in the Republic of Korea. It has also been proposed to open a Korean language and culture center at the International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage "Silk Road" in Samarkand.

This kind of professional exchange is already underway. In May of this year, representatives of Uzbekistan's Tourism Committee took part in the KOPIST High-Level Tourism Policy Forum organized by the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. And in June, an Uzbek project took first place at the KOPIST-2026 tourism project presentation.

The cooperation between the two countries also rests on a long-standing institutional foundation. An intergovernmental agreement on tourism has been in place since 2012. Now it's proposed to take the next step — developing a separate agreement between the relevant agencies of both countries, along with an action plan to increase tourism exchange.

Today the task goes beyond simply increasing the number of trips. It's about consistently linking the factors that directly shape a traveler's choice: convenient connections, accessibility, appealing tourism offers, and quality service — while also connecting tour operators, educational institutions, and relevant organizations in Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea. It is precisely in these areas that new opportunities for tourism cooperation between the two countries are now emerging.