In July alone, approximately 1.2 million foreign guests visited Uzbekistan for tourism purposes. In the same period, the seven-month figure exceeded 7.7 million.
According to data from the National Statistics Committee, 7,749,308 foreign citizens visited Uzbekistan for tourism in January-July 2026. This number is 1.4 million more than the same period last year, which is an increase of 22.6 percent.
During the period from January to June, this figure amounted to 6,565,410 people. Therefore, 1,183,898 foreigners visited Uzbekistan in July alone.
Among the seven months, the countries that sent the most tourists to Uzbekistan were Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. Russia and Afghanistan occupied the next places.
Four of the top five countries border Uzbekistan, while Russia led among non-bordering countries in terms of tourist numbers.
Following them were China, Turkmenistan, Turkey, India, and the Republic of Korea.
The US Department has officially launched a visa deposit program. Applicants for tourist and business visas (B1/B2) from citizens of 50 countries are now required to pay a deposit of up to $20,000.
Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have also been included in the list of countries covered by this system.
According to official statements from US representatives, this measure is aimed at reducing instances of visa rule violations and exceeding the permitted stay duration in the country. The new rule was adopted based on the results of a pilot program deemed effective by Washington and will take effect on August 3, 2025.
According to data from the National Statistical Committee, Uzbekistan's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 1,072.7 trillion soums in January-June 2026. Real economic growth was 8.5% compared to the same period in 2025.
The construction industry demonstrated the largest increase among the main sectors, showing a growth of 13.7%. The services sector grew by 9.2%, industry by 8%, and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries by 4.7%.
Within the service sphere, the information and communications sector led with an increase of 23.2%. Growth was also noted in transportation and storage at 15.8%, trade at 15%, and accommodation and food services at 10.8%.
The total volume of added value created by economic sectors amounted to 95.8% of GDP. The share of net product taxes was 4.2%, while their volume increased by 8.3%.
GDP per capita reached 27.95 million soums, which represents a real growth of 6.6%.
Since the beginning of this year, administrative fines have been applied to over 79,600 passengers in Tashkent who used public transport without a ticket.
The stable and continuous operation of the public transport system largely depends on passengers adhering to established procedures and paying fares on time. This is crucial for ensuring regular bus movement, improving service quality, and enhancing passenger conditions.
For this purpose, controllers from the state institution 'Monitoring and Supervision of Passenger Transportation in the City of Tashkent' conduct regular patrols aimed at strengthening payment discipline in public transport.
According to available information, 79,618 administrative protocols were issued against passengers traveling in buses without tickets during the past period of 2026, based on Article 144, paragraph 5 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In accordance with the legislation, a fine of one-eleventh of the basic calculation indicator is set for each violator, which amounts to 41,200 sums. As a result, the total amount of fines charged to passengers using transport without payment since the beginning of the year has reached almost 2 billion sums.
Experts emphasize that every paid fare contributes to the development of the public transport system, increasing the number of buses, ensuring regular movement, and improving service quality. Therefore, passengers are advised to pay their fares on time using electronic payment methods or according to the existing procedure, following the culture of using transport.
It is reminded that timely payment of the fare is more advantageous than paying fines, and every paid ride makes a worthy contribution to the development of public transport.
