Uzbekistan hosts first-ever ecotourism and sustainable tourism summit

Uzbekistan hosted the first-ever ecotourism and sustainable tourism summit

On August 26 of this year, a major international event called the "Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Summit" was successfully held in Tashkent.

This prestigious conference, organized in cooperation with the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the International Ecotourism Association and the international tourism organization "TGS Travel", brought together leading tourism specialists, representatives of the public and private sectors from more than 20 countries of the world.

Previously held in leading tourist centers such as Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam and Tanzania, Uzbekistan hosted this international summit for the first time in 2026. This indicates that our country's potential in the field of sustainable and ecological tourism is being recognized internationally, as well as its place on the global tourism map is being further strengthened.

The event was attended by about 100 major foreign tour operators, representatives of tourism companies and industry experts from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, as well as leading countries in Europe and Asia, who had the opportunity to get acquainted with the tourism potential of Uzbekistan and establish new partnerships.

As noted during the summit, in recent years, Uzbekistan has been pursuing a consistent state policy aimed at the rapid development of the tourism sector. According to UN Tourism, Uzbekistan is among the 7 fastest growing leading tourist destinations in the world. In particular, since the beginning of this year, more than 8 million foreign tourists have visited our country, and their average stay in Uzbekistan has been extended to 8 days. These indicators indicate that Uzbekistan is firmly taking a leading position as a promising and sustainably developing tourist destination not only in the region, but also throughout the world.

In order to further attract foreign and domestic investments to the tourism sector, the government is introducing a number of new benefits and incentive measures.

In particular, $50 million will be allocated for the construction, reconstruction and equipment of hotels, and entrepreneurs will be provided with 16% preferential loans for a period of 10 years. The period for providing subsidies for the construction of three-, four- and five-star hotels will be extended for another two years, and the tenfold reduced land and property tax rates for hotels will be extended until 2030. In addition, services provided by tour operators to foreign tourists will be equated with exports and exempted from value-added tax, and customs privileges for the import of tourist buses, electric buses and minibuses will be extended for another year.

At the official opening ceremony of the event, Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sanjar Tadzhiev and General Director of TravelShop Group of Companies and President of the Istanbul Tourism Association Murtaza Kalender made congratulatory speeches. Other official guests and heads of foreign delegations also attended the ceremony.

Within the framework of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference, leading experts from different countries of the world shared their experience and knowledge. In particular, international tourism experts such as Anis Sekhili, an expert on the Middle East and North Africa travel market, and Roberto Garibaldi, a professor at the University of Bergamo in Italy, as well as a number of local specialists, made informative presentations and reports on the development of sustainable tourism, rational use of ecological potential, and expansion of international cooperation.

After the successful completion of the main program on August 26, excursions and additional business meetings for foreign guests will continue in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara regions. These visits will allow foreign delegates to get acquainted with the thousand-year history, rich cultural heritage, and high tourism potential of Uzbekistan firsthand, as well as to gain practical experience of regional tourism projects.

The most effective aspect of the event was the B2B sessions. Bilateral meetings were organized between foreign tour operators and tourism companies and local partners. Strategic partnerships have been established with leading companies with high purchasing power and the potential to organize tours for the Muslim diaspora of Asian origin, especially in Canada, Great Britain and Europe. As a result of these meetings, a number of practical agreements have been reached between local and foreign tourism entities and a solid foundation has been created for the launch of long-term cooperation projects.