Uzbekistan reestablishes Tourism Committee

The Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been reestablished, following a decree signed today, November 20, by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The committee is formed on the basis of the former Tourism Committee under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change and inherits the rights and responsibilities of its predecessor.

The presidential decree sets the following key goals for tourism development in Uzbekistan by 2030:

•  Increase the tourism sector’s share of GDP from the current 3.5 percent to 7 percent;
•  Raise the annual number of foreign tourists from 10 million to 20 million, with a focus on attracting high-spending visitors;
•  Boost annual tourism service exports beyond 6 billion U.S. dollars;
•  Improve transport connectivity between tourist cities, increase domestic flights, and reduce travel time by at least threefold;
•  Double the number of 4- and 5-star hotels;
•  Fully leverage the country’s tourism potential through diversification of services and products;
•  Create a globally recognized Uzbek tourism brand and introduce new tools to promote national tourism products.

The Tourism Committee will act as a republican executive authority responsible for regulating and developing the tourism sector and is authorized to issue binding legal and regulatory documents within its competence.

The chairman of the committee:

•  Is appointed and dismissed by the President of Uzbekistan;
•  Is personally responsible for organizing the committee and its system efficiently, ensuring their activities are results-oriented and achieve set targets;
•  Inherits the rights and responsibilities of the former Tourism Committee under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change.

To promote national tourism products globally:

•  The position of Deputy Chairman for the Promotion of National Tourism Products is established;
•  The committee’s representative offices abroad will be set up and tasked with executing objectives in the countries where they operate;
•  The Deputy Chairman will coordinate the activities of the “National PR Center” and foreign offices and will be personally responsible for effective marketing of national tourism products.

For context, on November 19, President Mirziyoyev signed a decree establishing the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change by removing the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change from the Cabinet of Ministers’ system. Existing staff positions were preserved, and Aziz Abdukahhorov was appointed as the President’s adviser on ecology and Chairman of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change.