Uzbekistan and Indonesia expand cooperation in pilgrimage tourism

**Uzbekistan and Indonesia expand cooperation in pilgrimage tourism**

Uzbekistan and Indonesia plan to expand cooperation in the field of pilgrimage tourism, including through the development of tourist exchange, the opening of direct flights, and cooperation between tour operators.

This became known following a meeting between the Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Akkulov, and the Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Indonesia, Muhammad Irfan Yusuf.

One of the main topics of the negotiations was increasing the tourist flow between the two countries. In particular, the parties discussed the possibility of launching direct flights on the Tashkent — Jakarta route, as well as organizing direct flights that will connect Tashkent with the historical cities of Uzbekistan.

The meeting participants also considered the possibility of applying the mechanisms proposed by the head of state to subsidize new flights. In addition, local tour operators attracting tourists from Indonesia are planned to be paid a subsidy of $100 for each attracted tourist.

The Indonesian market is considered a promising direction for the development of pilgrimage tourism. Every year, more than 2 million Indonesian citizens perform Hajj and Umrah.

There are more than 1,200 pilgrimage tourism sites in Uzbekistan. Among them are sites associated with the heritage of Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, Imam Tirmidhi, and Bahauddin Naqshband.

During the visit of the Indonesian minister, a trip to the pilgrimage sites of Samarkand and Bukhara was organized. Following its results, the parties agreed to promote these cities in the Indonesian market as pilgrimage tourism destinations, develop specialized tourist routes, and hold B2B meetings between Hajj and Umrah operators of the two countries.

A practical step in cooperation will also be the launch of the five-star Hadith Hotel on the territory of the Imam Bukhari complex with the participation of Indonesian investors.

The parties are also considering the development of the "Umrah Plus" program, expanding cooperation between tour operators, and improving the infrastructure of pilgrimage tourism. These measures are aimed at strengthening Uzbekistan's position in the Indonesian tourism market and increasing the number of tourists from this country.