The 17th Tashkent International Tourism Fair “Tourism on the Silk Road 2011” opened at Uzexpocenter on 2 November.

The event has been organized by the National Company Uzbektourism, exhibition company TNT Expo and advertising agency Buyuk Ipak Yoli (Great Silk Road).

Tourism sector is one of the important spheres of the economy. Uzbekistan is included in one of the top ten countries by the number of historical and tourism sites. There are more than 4,000 historical and cultural monuments in Uzbekistan. The ancient cities, the picturesque nature and diverse culture attract people from all over the world, UzA notes.

The reforms implemented in the tourism sector over the years of the country’s independence have given positive results. The number of modern hotels and recreation centers is growing. Development of new tourist routes, creating new and renovating existing transport communications contribute to the development of tourism and increase the flow of tourists to Uzbekistan.

High-speed train Afrosiyob on the Tashkent-Samarkand route was launched on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the independence of Uzbekistan. This was an important step towards improving the quality of transport services for local residents and tourists.

Today, such types of tourism as ecotourism, adventure tourism, cultural, educational and others are developing in the country. Tourists arriving in Uzbekistan can get a lot of useful and interesting information about culture and history of this land.

According to Uzbektourism, in 2010 Uzbekistan attracted 6.9% more tourists than in 2009. In the first half of this year, the growth of tourist services made up 27%. The number of new business entities that started their activities in this sphere is increasing. In January-June 2011, 71 tourist enterprises and 29 hotels were commissioned. Currently, there are 782 enterprises, 294 hotels and 450 tour operators in Uzbekistan.

A special attention is paid to creating necessary conditions for cooperation with foreign partners and develop domestic tourism. A series of marketing projects, called mega-info-tours, are being organized by the Uzbektourism in order to demonstrate the tourism potential of Uzbekistan and to increase the flow of foreign and domestic tourists. Close cooperation has been established with more than 200 tour companies in countries like Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, France, China and Japan.

This October, Uzbekistan was elected as member of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization for 2011-2015 by the European Regional Group at the 19th UNWTO session in South Korea.
Uzbekistan joined this organization in 1993. UNWTO, which unites over 150 states, supports the financing of projects in many countries around the world.

Within the Tashkent Tourism Fair, the first tourist photo competition called “The Great Silk Road” and the contest “The Best Guide of Uzbekistan” will be held.

On the first day of the fair, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Uzbektourism and the State Secretariat for Trade, Crafts, Small and Medium Enterprises, Tourism and Services of the French Republic.

Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov spoke at the opening ceremony of the International Tourism Fair.