A briefing on the development of the country’s tourism sector was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Turkmenistan. The event was attended by representatives of Turkmenistan’s state organisations, travel companies and the media, according to the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

Participants were presented with tourist itineraries covering the historic cities of Uzbekistan — Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Shakhrisabz — which are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Ravshanbek Alimov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Turkmenistan, noted that the country is developing modern forms of tourism, including ecotourism, pilgrimage tourism, health tourism, gastronomic tourism and business tourism (MICE).

According to him, the reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan are helping to boost the country’s appeal to tourists. In the first six months of this year, around 6.6 million foreign tourists visited Uzbekistan.

R. Alimov emphasised that the development of the sector is aimed not only at attracting visitors, but also at preserving cultural heritage, supporting the regions and expanding international cooperation.

Particular attention was paid at the briefing to the development of tourism cooperation with the countries of Central Asia. The Ambassador highlighted the potential for creating joint itineraries with Turkmenistan, including the route ‘Khiva – Kunya-Urgench – Ashgabat – Mary – Bukhara’, and called on tour operators from both countries to cooperate.