Uzbekistan Drafts Presidential Decree to Development Active Tourism
Uzbekistan's Tourism Committee has published a draft presidential decree aimed at advancing active and extreme tourism, small aviation, and mountain access.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) – Uzbekistan's Tourism Committee, in collaboration with various ministries and departments, has formulated a draft presidential decree aimed at fostering active tourism, which is now open for public review.
In preparing the document, the committee analyzed best practices from Switzerland, Austria, France, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. They also consulted with tourism businesses, non-profit organizations, and volunteer rescue services.
The draft decree outlines six primary areas for active tourism development: improving tourist safety, leveraging regional natural resources, implementing national and international safety standards, digitizing and streamlining permit processes, enhancing guide and instructor training, and supporting entrepreneurs and non-governmental organizations.
The proposal identifies 162 natural sites across the Tashkent, Surkhandarya, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, and Jizzakh regions—including mountains, lakes, waterfalls, caves, and peaks—as having high potential for active tourism. A dedicated roadmap will be approved to develop infrastructure and expand services at these locations.
Following the decree's adoption, the Tourism Committee will, within one month, establish a unified regulation for active tourism. A separate framework will be introduced for extreme tourism facilities, covering state registration, commissioning, and monitoring. This will include standardized regulations for attractions such as ziplines, alpine coasters (rodelbahns), bungee jumping, rope parks, and suspension bridges.
The project also mandates the implementation of international standards for training guides and mountain instructors. The Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Tourism Committee will jointly develop training and certification programs aligned with international specifications. Specialized training courses are slated to open in Karakalpakstan, as well as the Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Namangan, Samarkand, Syrdarya, Surkhandarya, and Tashkent regions.
Permit procedures for accessing mountainous and border areas will be simplified, allowing both local residents and foreign tourists to obtain electronic permits via the Single Portal of Interactive Public Services within ten days.
A significant portion of the proposal focuses on developing small aviation. The Civil Aviation Agency is designated as the primary state regulator for this sector, responsible for aircraft registration, certification, maintenance, pilot training, and flight safety oversight. The Ministry of Transport is tasked with drafting simplified rules for small aircraft registration and introducing mandatory civil liability insurance.
Further plans include creating a "Small Aviation" digital platform, launching a Cadet Program for pilot training, restoring regional airfields for tourism, and leasing select facilities to private operators.
To support commercial operators, the draft proposes exempting approximately 40 types of vehicles, machinery, and equipment used in active tourism from customs duties between January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2030. This includes quad bikes, off-road vehicles, campers, jet skis, parachutes, paragliders, hang gliders, and mountaineering gear.
Additionally, starting in 2027, state programs will progressively integrate projects to develop road, utility, and tourism infrastructure at active tourism sites. Other provisions include establishing a tourism service insurance framework and introducing special traffic management rules for buses and minibuses on popular mountain routes, such as Charvak, Zaamin, and the Kamchik Pass.
According to the developers, these measures are expected to accelerate the growth of active and extreme tourism, foster new tourism products, enhance regional appeal, and create new employment opportunities.