Uzbekistan’s banks are set to provide financial support to tour operators aimed at attracting foreign tourists, with loans offered for a 10-year term, including a 2-year grace period. The lenders’ margin on these loans will be capped at 3% above the set interest rate for the credit line.
Each company can access up to 25 billion soums (approximately $2 million) through this credit line. To qualify, the tour operator must have been operational for at least one year by the time of application and must cover at least 15% of the project’s financing with its own resources.
To maintain the favorable loan conditions, recipients of these targeted loans are required to increase both the number of foreign tourists using their services and their revenue from tourism by 25% within a year of receiving the loan.
Additionally, since September 1, a special credit line has been made available through commercial banks in the national currency at an annual rate of 14%, established by the Reconstruction and Development Fund. This credit line aims to provide working capital to resident tour operators engaged in inbound tourism, supporting efforts to attract more international visitors to Uzbekistan.