An ecotourism summit was held in Tashkent with the participation of representatives from more than 20 countries.
The main part of the event was focused on attracting new partners in the tourism market and promoting Uzbekistan's ecotourism, mountain, gastronomic, and other directions in foreign markets.
On August 26, an international summit dedicated to ecotourism and sustainable tourism was held in Tashkent, attended by representatives of the tourism sector, international tour operators, and experts from more than 20 countries.
The "Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Summit" was organized in cooperation with the Tourism Committee, the International Ecotourism Association, and the international travel organization "TGS Travel." According to the organizers, leading tourism experts, as well as representatives of the public and private sectors, from more than 20 countries participated in the forum.
The summit was held in Uzbekistan for the first time. Previous conferences were organized in Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam, and Tanzania. This year's event attracted nearly 100 major foreign tour operators, representatives of travel companies, and industry experts from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and a number of European and Asian countries.
The practical significance of the event for Uzbekistan was explained by its focus on establishing direct contacts with international tour operators. The Tourism Committee had previously stated that the summit program would include an international conference, panel sessions, and two-stage B2B meetings between tour operators. It was precisely at these meetings that opportunities for cooperation with foreign companies that had not previously operated in Uzbekistan were discussed.
The presence among foreign participants of companies from the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other European countries could expand Uzbekistan's opportunities to reach new tourist segments. The Tourism Committee's report noted, in particular, plans to establish direct contacts with companies organizing tours for the Asian Muslim diaspora with high purchasing power in Canada, the UK, and Europe.
This direction is aimed at expanding the tourist flow not only in terms of numbers but also in terms of its composition and economic impact. In January–July 2026, 7,749,307 foreign tourists visited Uzbekistan. This is 22.6 percent more than in the same period last year. During this period, exports of tourism services amounted to USD 3.8957 billion, increasing by 56 percent on an annual basis.
The growth in the number of tourists is also linked to the geography of the incoming flow. In the first two months of 2026, the main tourist flow came from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. Tourists also arrived from Russia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China, Turkey, India, and South Korea during this period.
The ecotourism and sustainable tourism directions discussed at the summit are also related to expanding this flow across the country's regions. As part of the event, visits to the Khorezm, Samarkand, and Bukhara regions were organized for foreign guests. The program was intended to directly showcase to them Uzbekistan's mountain, ecotourism, gastronomic, and ethnographic tourism routes.
At the conference held within the framework of the summit, Anis Shehli, an international expert on the Middle East and South African travel market, Roberto Garibaldi, a professor at the University of Bergamo in Italy, and other specialists gave presentations on developing sustainable tourism, utilizing ecological potential, and expanding international cooperation.
The economic component of the event was not limited solely to attracting foreign tourists. It was noted that new incentive and stimulation measures are being introduced to increase foreign and local investment in the tourism sector. In particular, it is envisaged that USD 50 million will be allocated for the construction, reconstruction, and equipping of hotels, and entrepreneurs will be provided with preferential loans at 16 percent for a term of 10 years.
It was also announced that the period for providing subsidies for the construction of four- and five-star hotels would be extended for another two years, and the tenfold reduced land and property tax rate for hotels would be maintained until 2030. It is also envisaged to equate tour operators' services provided to foreign tourists with exports, exempt them from value-added tax, and extend customs benefits for the import of buses, electric buses, and minibuses for another year.
Such measures directed at tourism infrastructure are of particular importance against the backdrop of the growing number of tourists. In January–June 2026, Uzbekistan's airports served 8.15 million passengers, which is 16 percent more than in the same period last year. During this period, 64,831 flights were operated, with the number of international flights amounting to 47,371.
One of the main tasks for the next stage of the tourism sector is not only increasing the number of tourists but also increasing their length of stay and expenditure in the country. According to the Tourism Committee's data from early 2026, the goals are to increase the number of foreign tourists to 20 million by 2030, raise tourism's share of the gross domestic product from 3.5 percent to 7 percent, and bring annual exports of tourism services to over USD 6 billion.
From this perspective, the main outcome of the Tashkent summit may be determined less by the number of its participants and more by the agreements reached with international tour operators and, through them, the entry of Uzbekistan's tourism products into new markets. The B2B meetings in the summit program serve precisely this purpose.
Following the conclusion of the main program on August 26, additional visits for foreign guests were scheduled to continue along the Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara routes. This provided representatives of foreign companies with the opportunity to see the country's tourism products not only through presentations but also directly in the regions.
As a result, the summit held in Tashkent simultaneously combined two directions: promoting Uzbekistan's ecotourism and sustainable tourism potential on the international market and establishing new commercial contacts with foreign tour operators. Against the backdrop of the growing number of foreign tourists visiting the country and the increase in exports of tourism services, the practical results of such contacts may become evident in the coming seasons through new routes, tour packages, and tourist flows.
