Tashkent is currently hosting one of the world’s most prestigious backgammon competitions — the Asian Grand Prix 2026 — signaling Uzbekistan’s growing capacity to attract and deliver large-scale international sporting events that generate significant economic activity across multiple sectors.
Running through March 29, the tournament has assembled over 700 competitors and guests from more than 60 countries, including Russia, Argentina, China, Turkey, the United States, and Italy. The championship unfolds across 12 different competition formats — a record for events of this scale — at the modern Axelon Center, which houses more than 180 gaming tables.
Economic momentum through MICE tourism
The tournament exemplifies how Uzbekistan is strategically positioning itself as a MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) destination. The event carries a prize pool of $500,000, and its organization requires coordination across hospitality, transport, catering, and professional services — sectors that generate sustained economic activity beyond the event’s duration.
This competitive hosting capacity reflects broader momentum in the country’s event economy. In 2025 alone, approximately 200 international events took place across Uzbekistan, creating year-round demand for hotel accommodations, transportation services, and ancillary offerings. This frequency helps reduce seasonality in tourism — a critical challenge in Central Asia — and builds stable, predictable revenue streams for hospitality providers, logistics operators, and service enterprises.
Infrastructure investment and organizational capability
The tournament’s scale demonstrates Uzbekistan’s infrastructure readiness and organizational prowess. The Axelon Center’s capacity for simultaneous multi-format competitions, combined with live streaming capabilities and professional media coverage, reflects substantial investment in event infrastructure. The participation of 24 international arbiters and English as the official tournament language underscores commitment to internationally recognized standards.
Officials highlighted the strategic importance of such events. At the opening ceremony, the Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee stated that hosting major competitions strengthens the country’s positioning as a modern, open tourism destination and demonstrates capability to execute complex international events successfully.
Business implications for international investors
For international companies in hospitality, transport, logistics, catering, and business services, Uzbekistan’s growing event portfolio represents concrete market opportunities. The regular cadence of large international events — 200 annually — indicates sustained demand for professional services, accommodation capacity, and logistics coordination. The country’s demonstrated ability to host intellectually demanding competitions with international participants signals infrastructure reliability and professional competence that extends to broader business operations. Additionally, the influx of international visitors attending such events creates ancillary opportunities in retail, dining, and tourism-related services, while the event infrastructure investments often benefit the broader business community through improved facilities and transportation networks.
