Tourism in Uzbekistan is one of the fastest growing and developing sectors of the economy. Every year more than a million tourists from all over the world visit our country, and domestic and so-called outbound outbound tourism is also rapidly developing.
According to the State Statistics Committee, in 2022, 558,600 citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan went abroad for vacation in 2022. Most Uzbeks visited Turkey – 202.1 thousand people, UAE – 87.9 thousand people, Saudi Arabia – 49 thousand people. and Egypt – 29.5 thousand people. The rating of popular destinations among Uzbeks is closed by Germany – 3.5 thousand people. Package tours remain the most convenient and popular for citizens of Uzbekistan. Since many citizens are not yet ready for independent trips to foreign or exotic countries.
Also in recent years, tours along the “Umra” line have been in greatest demand for foreign trips among Uzbeks. The first flight after the cancellation of international flights due to the pandemic, the citizens of Uzbekistan made in September 2022. In the new season of Umrah-2022, Uzbek pilgrims traveled to Medina and Mecca for 11 days.
On September 29, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent received a delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia headed by Minister for Hajj and Umrah Tawfik bin Fawzan ar-Rabia. During the conversation, an agreement was reached to double the quota for citizens of Uzbekistan to perform the Hajj – up to 24 thousand a year, as well as the number of pilgrims for Umrah – up to 100 thousand.
The country has more than 2000 travel companies engaged in domestic and outbound tourism. To support and identify controversial issues in the activities of domestic travel companies in Uzbekistan, the Association of Travel Companies of Uzbekistan (ACHTO) was created. APTА is a non-governmental, non-profit public organization established in 1998 on the initiative of private tour operators and hotels of the country with the support of the Government of the Republic. APTA unites tour operators, representatives of the hotel business and guest houses.