The Role of Tourism in the Socioeconomic Development of Uzbekistan: Current State, Challenges and Strategic Prospects
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Uzbekistan's transformation into one of Central Asia'smost ambitious tourism development projects represents a significantcase study in state-directed economic diversification and heritage-baseddevelopment strategy. Following the substantive policy reforms initiatedby the government of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev from 2017 onward,the country has experienced extraordinary growth in inboundinternational tourism, accompanied by large-scale investments intourism infrastructure, visa liberalization, and the systematic promotion of the country's extraordinary cultural and natural heritage assets. Thisarticle examines the multi-dimensional role of tourism in Uzbekistan'ssocioeconomic development trajectory, drawing on official statisticaldata, sectoral reports, and comparative regional analysis. The paperanalyzes the evolution of Uzbekistan's tourism policy framework;quantifies the sector's contribution to GDP, employment, and foreignexchange earnings; examines the country's principal tourism resources— including the World Heritage cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, andKhiva — and evaluates the challenges of infrastructure development,human capital formation, digital transformation, and sustainableheritage management that the country must address to realize itsambitious tourism development goals. The article concludes by proposingstrategic priorities for consolidating Uzbekistan's position as a premierinternational destination and argues that tourism, if properly managed,can serve as a powerful engine of inclusive economic development andcultural diplomacy
Author: Abdulboqiyeva Munisa
Institution: Namangan State Pedagogical Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W7204264751