Uzbekistan and Pakistan Expand Cooperation in Tourism After Launch of Direct Flights

Uzbekistan and Indonesia intend to deepen their partnership in the field of pilgrimage tourism. Plans include organizing tourist exchanges, launching direct flights, and strengthening interaction between tour operators.

The discussion of these plans took place during a meeting between the Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, Abdulkhaziz Akkulov, and the Indonesian Minister for Hajj and Umrah, Muhammad Irfan Yusuf.

One of the key issues discussed was increasing the number of tourists traveling between the two countries. The parties considered the possibility of opening a direct Tashkent-Jakarta air route, as well as direct flights connecting Tashkent with historical cities in Uzbekistan.

Participants in the meeting also discussed applying mechanisms proposed by the President of Uzbekistan to subsidize new airlines. Furthermore, local tour operators attracting tourists from Indonesia will receive a subsidy of 100 US dollars for each tourist brought to Uzbekistan.

Indonesia is viewed as a promising market for developing pilgrimage tourism, as more than two million Indonesian citizens perform Hajj and Umrah annually.

Uzbekistan has over 1200 pilgrimage sites, including places related to the heritage of Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, Imam Tirmizi, and Bahauddin Naqshbandi.

During his visit, the Indonesian Minister toured pilgrimage sites in Samarkand and Bukhara. Following this visit, the parties agreed to promote these two cities in the Indonesian market as destinations for pilgrimage tourism, develop specialized routes, and organize B2B meetings between Hajj and Umrah operators from both countries.

A practical area of cooperation will be the opening of the five-star hotel 'Hadis' at the Imam Bukhari complex with the participation of Indonesian investors.

Additionally, the parties are considering creating an 'Umrah Plus' program, expanding interaction between tour operators, and improving pilgrimage tourism infrastructure. These measures are aimed at strengthening Uzbekistan's position in the Indonesian tourism market and increasing the number of tourists arriving from Indonesia.

The Tourism Group of the Social Security Organization (HEGTA) and the Iranian Tour Operators Association have reached an agreement to expand cooperation in domestic and international tourism markets. The parties also plan to develop new tourism products and more actively utilize HEGTA's capabilities in accommodation and railway transport.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday, when both sides agreed to establish a joint working group. This group will be responsible for identifying target markets and developing pilot tourism products.

Key areas of cooperation include creating comprehensive packages that combine train travel, accommodation, and excursions; developing the existing medical tourism chain; studying Central Asian markets; jointly participating in national and international presentations; developing short-term practical training courses, and assessing opportunities to increase hotel infrastructure according to market needs.

Akbar Gamhar, Chairman of the Iranian Tour Operators Association, noted that the tourism market offers many areas for partnership with HEGTA. These include accumulated post-war travel demand, medical and pilgrimage tourism, railway tourism, Central Asian markets, as well as leisure programs for civil servants and pensioners.

He also emphasized the importance of using HEGTA's hotel and railway networks to create new tourism offerings. Gamhar added that closer integration between various participants in the medical tourism chain, combined with the capabilities of professional tour operators, could boost inbound tourism.

Referring to the success of 37 association members who received export awards last year, he viewed this as an opportunity to expand international tourism markets. He also called for joint participation in road shows, specialized training programs, and providing incentives for accommodation.

Alireza Tabesh, CEO of HEGTA, welcomed the proposed initiatives. He stated that the Iranian Tour Operators Association possesses significant experience and knowledge of tourism markets that can be used to promote the holding's international markets. He highlighted the potential of HEGTA and its subsidiaries in accommodation, rail transport, tourism, training, and investment, stressing the need for practical and economically sound cooperation between the two entities.

Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khojaev announced on his LinkedIn page the preparation of a visit by a delegation of the Government of Uzbekistan and the holding of a business forum involving leading companies from both countries.

Khojaev discussed the details of the upcoming visit with Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, the Pakistani Ambassador to Uzbekistan.

The planned visit includes holding a business forum that will gather representatives of major companies from Uzbekistan and Pakistan. According to Khojaev, there is significant unrealized potential between the two states for expanding cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, investment, and industry.

Key tasks that need to be addressed include turning existing opportunities into concrete projects, establishing direct business contacts, and increasing the efficiency of trade routes. The parties also discussed the possibility of increasing preferential trade between the countries; as of August 14, the current preferential regime covers more than 80 commodity categories.

Transport connectivity was an important area of discussion. The possibility of creating new transit corridors through Pakistan was examined. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that such routes would reduce delivery times and logistics costs while expanding access for Uzbek enterprises to South Asian markets.

It is expected that the upcoming visit of the government delegation and the business forum will serve as a platform for further strengthening direct business ties and discussing specific aspects of economic, trade, and investment interaction.