Uzbekistan has secured international recognition for its cultural tourism sector, winning the “Best Cultural Tourism Destination” award at The Global Tourism Forum held in Brussels. The accolade reflects the country’s successful tourism market transformation and arrives amid unprecedented growth in international visitor arrivals and record export performance for tourism services.
Tourism sector expansion accelerates
The award comes as Uzbekistan’s tourism sector records striking momentum. During the first nine months of 2025, the country welcomed 8.6 million foreign visitors — representing growth of 112.5 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2024. This dramatic increase underscores the effectiveness of market positioning strategies and international promotional activities across multiple source markets.
The economic impact has been equally substantial. Tourism services exports have reached record levels, surpassing $3.6 billion USD and establishing new benchmarks for the sector’s contribution to national revenue. Visitor flows from key source markets show particularly strong expansion trends relative to pre-pandemic 2022 levels, with arrivals from countries including the United Kingdom, Qatar, the United States, France, Germany, and Poland registering multifold increases.
Strategic international engagement
The Global Tourism Forum, convened under the theme “Rethinking Tourism in a Changing World,” assembled senior tourism officials from dozens of countries alongside representatives from international organizations and industry leaders. The forum prioritized sector resilience, investment attraction, innovation adoption, and expanded international cooperation.
Uzbekistan’s participation centered on bilateral discussions with influential stakeholders in the global tourism ecosystem. High-level meetings included the newly appointed UN Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, the European Commission’s Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism and Transport, leadership from the Organization of Turkic States, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism, and representatives of major digital tourism platforms. These engagements target the strengthening of Uzbekistan’s international position within tourism markets and establishment of new cooperation pathways focused on cultural heritage promotion and market development.
For international companies active in hospitality, tourism services, destination development, and infrastructure provision, Uzbekistan’s evolving tourism sector presents tangible market opportunities. The combination of international award recognition, documented visitor growth acceleration, record service export revenues, and active engagement with global tourism institutions signals a sector experiencing sustained expansion with government support. Companies examining market entry or expansion strategies within Central Asia can view the documented performance trajectory and institutional positioning as indicators of sector stability and growth potential within a strategically important regional economy.
