The Tourism Committee provided an explanation regarding the "Safe Tourism" fund.

The Tourism Committee issued an official statement in response to the spread of one-sided and insufficiently researched reports on social media regarding outbound tourism and new regulations in the sector. [Link]

 

According to the Committee, the number of citizens traveling abroad has significantly increased in recent years as a result of rising public welfare. In particular, in 2025, over 8 million Uzbek citizens traveled abroad. It was emphasized that evacuating citizens abroad in emergency situations, providing them with necessary assistance, and returning them to the homeland has become a pressing issue.

 

It was noted that, in accordance with current legislation, tour operators operate on the basis of a license, while travel agents work under a notification procedure. Analyses have shown that some tourists who travel without guarantees, specifically through travel agents, face difficult situations abroad.

 

In this regard, a draft regulatory legal document "On further improving measures related to regulating the travel of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan to foreign countries" has been submitted for public discussion.

 

The Committee reported that the draft was developed based on the experience of the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Denmark, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

 

The draft also envisions the establishment of a "Safe Tourism" fund. According to this, the planned amount of 50,000 US dollars to be set for tour operators will be directed towards compensating damages suffered by affected citizens in emergency situations and financing the costs of their evacuation from abroad. It is stated that once the targeted contributions exceed the reserve amount, they will be guaranteed to be returned.

 

Furthermore, it was reported that the draft decision was discussed in open dialogues held at the Tourism Committee on June 5 and July 6 of this year with the participation of local and foreign tourism industry representatives, and was improved based on the proposals made.

 

The Tourism Committee emphasized that this draft document is aimed at creating legal and financial mechanisms to protect the life, safety, and legitimate interests of citizens, and called on the public to objectively assess the content of the draft through official sources and actively participate in the discussions.