An international summit dedicated to ecotourism and sustainable tourism was held in Tashkent, which Uzbekistan hosted for the first time. The event attracted about one hundred foreign tour operators, industry experts, and representatives of tourism companies from over twenty countries.
The summit took place on August 26th with the assistance of the Committee on Tourism, the International Ecotourism Association, and TGS Travel. Similar forums have previously been held in Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam, and Tanzania.
Foreign guests were presented with information about Uzbekistan's tourism potential, as well as opportunities for developing ecotourism and conditions for doing business in this sector. Special attention was paid to discussing new partnerships and projects between local and foreign tourism firms.
Business Program and Tourism Support
The main part of the business program was organized in the format of B2B negotiations. Representatives of the Uzbek tourism sector met with companies from Canada, the United Kingdom, and other European states, where plans were discussed for creating new tours to Uzbekistan and implementing joint initiatives.
Various support measures are provided in the country to stimulate such projects. For example, $50 million is allocated for the construction, modernization, and equipping of hotels. Entrepreneurs have access to loans at an annual rate of 16% for up to ten years. Furthermore, subsidies for the construction of three-, four-, and five-star hotels have been extended for another two years, and tenfold reductions in land and property taxes for hotels will be in effect until 2030.
According to data presented at the summit, over 8 million foreign tourists visited Uzbekistan since the beginning of 2026, with the average length of their stay increasing to eight days. After the completion of the summit, foreign guests plan to visit the Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara regions to explore tourist attractions and projects.
It was previously noted that Uzbekistan holds leading positions in the region in terms of tourism growth rates. This information is confirmed in the report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which classifies Central Asia as one of the fastest-growing tourist regions in the world.