According to the results of tests conducted by nPerf, Uzbekistan ranked third among countries with a comparable level of economic development based on fixed internet performance indicators for web browsing.
Tests conducted from January to May 2026 showed that Uzbekistan was third among fourteen countries whose GDP per capita ranged from $1,000 to $4,000 USD. In this ranking, Uzbekistan achieved a web browsing performance score of 54.8%.
This index assesses the speed and smoothness of loading five most visited websites in each country.
Only Kyrgyzstan, which scored 56.5%, and Cambodia, which scored 55.6%, were ahead of Uzbekistan. The difference in scores between Uzbekistan and the leader was only 1.7 percentage points, indicating a slight difference in user experience among the top three participants. In comparison, Myanmar, which took last place, lagged behind Kyrgyzstan by 22.5 percentage points.
Uzbekistan surpassed countries such as Tanzania, Togo, Benin, Egypt, Kenya, and Pakistan.
Uzbekistan is becoming a new destination for international tourists as the demand for trip searches to the country increased by a record 64% between May 2025 and April 2026. This data is presented in the report 'Travel Insights 2026: Focus on Europe,' prepared by Amadeus in collaboration with UN Tourism. This growth was the highest among all surveyed destinations.
Neighboring Tajikistan showed the same increase in search demand—64%. The report notes a growing interest in Central and Eastern European regions, which the authors also include Central Asian countries in. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan showed the strongest demand growth, surpassing established markets such as Switzerland and Sweden (each showing a 36% growth), Denmark (34%), Ireland (33%), Belgium (32%), and Norway (31%).
According to the report, the increasing diversity of new destinations indicates that travelers are increasingly seeking new experiences beyond traditional tourist spots. This opens opportunities for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) to enhance their status by developing unique marketing campaigns and compelling storytelling.
UN Tourism Secretary-General Sheikha Al Nawais stated: 'More and more travelers are striving to discover new places outside of well-known and heavily photographed tourist attractions. The greatest success belongs to those destinations that are bold enough to make themselves known today before the rest of the world finds out.'
The European tourism sector continued to demonstrate resilience and growth in the second quarter of 2026. According to Amadeus Travel Intelligence, passenger traffic to Europe increased by 2.3% compared to the same period last year (May 2025 – April 2026). Meanwhile, hotel occupancy grew by 2%, and the average daily rate (ADR) increased by 7%.
The UN Tourism Global Tourism Barometer reported that international arrivals to Europe grew by 4% in the first quarter of 2026, following a 5% growth in 2025. Overall growth in Central and Eastern Europe was 6%, while Southern Mediterranean Europe and Northern Europe each showed a growth of 4%, and Western Europe showed a growth of 2%.
Javier Campo, Vice President of Commercial for Europe at Amadeus Hospitality, noted: 'Despite some uncertainty in European travel due to the macroeconomic situation, demand on the continent remains resilient. We see a clear opportunity to attract Japanese travelers, who lead both in search volume and booking growth in Europe, and there is also growing interest in lesser-known destinations.'
In addition to traditional leaders of European tourism, booking data indicates growing demand for destinations offering unique experiences and a more balanced season. Czechia demonstrated the fastest booking growth among leading European markets, increasing by 9%, and Iceland by 7%.
The report indicates that these figures reflect strong interest in both cultural city breaks and nature travel in Northern and Central Europe.
Japan has become the fastest-growing source market for travel to Europe. A 62% increase in search queries from Japan translated into a 12% increase in bookings, which is 10 percentage points higher than Denmark, which ranked second in booking growth. Booking growth from Japan was observed across all sub-regions of Europe: 28% in Central and Eastern Europe, 14% in Southern Mediterranean Europe, 10% in Western Europe, and 8% in Northern Europe.
According to the report, this trend creates significant opportunities for tourism organizations, DMOs, and airlines, ranging from more targeted marketing campaigns to strategic partnerships for route development.
Travelers aged 46 to 65 account for about 30% of total tourism demand in Europe, making them the largest customer segment. According to the Amadeus Travel Dreams report, this age group is increasingly seeking authentic local experiences, cultural immersion, wellness, and a deeper connection with the places they visit.
This trend is also noticeable in the hotel sector. The average daily rate in Europe remained close to $215 USD over the last 12 months, peaking at $249 USD in June 2025. France recorded the highest rates among major markets, reaching $441 USD in June and $391 USD in July.
Hotel occupancy across Europe was maintained at 73% or higher from May to October 2025, reaching nearly 80% in September.
Nearly half of all bookings, about 48%, are made more than a month before the intended arrival date, highlighting the effectiveness of early marketing and pricing strategies. Hotel occupancy for September 2026 has already reached 25%, compared to 22% the previous year, which is an early sign of stable tourist demand before the start of the next high season.
The 'Travel Insights 2026: Focus on Europe' report is based on data from Amadeus Destination Gateway, which combines historical and forecast information on hotels, air travel, and traveler demographics.
According to the updated ranking published by the website Numbeo, Tashkent ranked 488th in the global list covering 549 cities worldwide. The capital of Uzbekistan received 31.2 points.
With this score, Tashkent became the third most expensive city in Central Asia for living. It is surpassed by Almaty from Kazakhstan, which scored 40.1 points, and Astana, which showed 34.5 points. Within the entire Asian continent, Tashkent ranks 74th. In the regional list, Dushanbe (29.9 points) and Bishkek (29.7 points) follow Tashkent.
The most expensive cities in the world are recognized as Zurich and Basel from Switzerland, as well as Georgetown, the capital of the Cayman Islands. Conversely, more than ten cities in India were identified as the most affordable places to live, with scores ranging from 17.3 to 18.8 points.
To form this index, the cost of living in New York is used as the base point, assigned 100 points. Any deviation from this mark reflects the percentage difference in the cost of living. For example, life in Zurich is 23.4% more expensive than in New York, while in Tashkent it is 68.6% cheaper.
Experts who compiled the indicator took into account a number of factors, including prices for food in grocery stores and restaurants, housing rental costs, and the overall purchasing power of the local population.
Uzbekistan's financial sector is undergoing rapid digital transformation. According to Presidential Decree No. UP-246, the country aims to reduce the share of the shadow economy relative to GDP by 1.3 times by 2030, while simultaneously increasing the share of non-cash payments in trade and services to 75%.
A separate resolution sets a goal to increase the number of local fintech market participants to 200 companies by 2030 and attract up to $1 billion in foreign investment into this sector within five years.
Against the backdrop of these changes, the international fintech holding company OSON is actively developing its division in Uzbekistan, continuing to expand the functionality of its OSON Wallet product. Founded in 2016, the holding structure operates in five countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the UAE, serving over three million users.
A shift in competition is observed in the market: instead of launching individual services, the focus is on integration, combining various payment tools into a single user experience. Recently, OSON released a universal scanner that recognizes all major QR standards used in the market (Tez QR, UzQR, Xolis) within one application. Furthermore, the scanner supports Uzcard and HUMO cards, as well as its own e-wallet.
Farhod Makhmudov, the founder and CEO of the company, noted that the product is being created so that the level of convenience for users in Uzbekistan matches the best global practices. He emphasized that the unified QR scanner is a step in this direction, as the market should provide people with the same seamless payment experience they are accustomed to seeing in countries with more mature fintech ecosystems.
These changes reflect a broader trend: fintech in Uzbekistan is moving from simply replacing cash to a phase of consolidation and enhanced convenience. Now, what matters to users is not only the ability to make non-cash payments but also the absence of needing to understand which standard a specific checkout uses.
Given the current momentum and strict regulatory deadlines (2026–2030), Uzbekistan has a good chance of becoming one of the key fintech hubs in Central Asia. Companies that invest in infrastructure and user convenience today will determine the speed at which this goal is achieved by the market.
