President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has instructed government officials to fully tap into the tourism potential of the Khorezm region, which is expected to significantly improve the region’s economic indicators. The directive was announced by the presidential press service following his visit to Khorezm.
At a meeting held during the visit, Mirziyoyev cited several economic statistics. According to him, 7,000 new entrepreneurs launched businesses in the region last year, 47 enterprises moved from small to medium-sized status, and more than 10 companies surpassed a turnover of 200 billion soums ($15.4 million). These developments led to the employment of 290,000 people.
Despite this progress, poverty in the region remains high at 12 percent, and 45,000 residents are unemployed. Moreover, only one company in Khorezm reports annual turnover exceeding 1 trillion soums ($77 million).
To stimulate further economic growth, the president urged local authorities to focus on tourism. While the country’s overall tourism export potential is estimated at $10 billion, Khorezm accounts for $2 billion of that.
“But last year, only 1.3 million foreign visitors came to the region, and tourism service exports didn’t even reach $400 million,” he lamented.
The region, however, holds significant untapped potential. Many historic sites remain underexplored, such as khan’s palaces in Khazarasp, Bagat, and Yangiaryk. As a result, regional governors were instructed to bring in experienced foreign archaeologists to identify and restore these sites. The plan is to develop a tourist route linking eight ancient fortresses across Khorezm and Karakalpakstan, complete with traveler amenities along the way.
Mirziyoyev pointed out that there are currently no internationally branded hotels in the region. He set a goal to open 40 new hotels with a combined capacity of 2,500 beds by the end of the year, at least two of which should carry international brands. There is also a pressing need to train more tour guides fluent in multiple foreign languages.
Transportation remains a key bottleneck. Flights currently arrive in Urgench from Russia, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and France, but the lack of routes from China and the Arab world limits further growth. The president ordered the relevant agencies to establish air links with Frankfurt, Ürümqi, Beijing, and Abu Dhabi, and to launch daily Istanbul flights during the tourist season.
Mirziyoyev also criticized the current state of domestic air travel. With 95 percent of flights operated by state-owned airlines, there is no real competition. As a result, tickets from Tashkent to Urgench are costly and often unavailable a week in advance. The president called for involving private carriers and significantly increasing the number of flights.
Poor road conditions also deter many foreign tourists. Plans are in place to repair major highways using funding from international financial institutions. In addition, 13 local officials will be sent to developed European countries to study best practices in tourism and hospitality.
Summing up tourism’s potential economic impact on Khorezm, the president laid out the following targets for this year:
👉 Raise regional GDP to 60 trillion soums ($4.6 billion);
👉 Ensure overall economic growth of at least 6 percent;
👉 Increase trade and services by 15 percent;
👉 Create 265,000 new jobs;
👉 Lift 104,000 people out of poverty.
