TOURISM IN UZBEKISTAN TODAY

BABABEKOVA+KHALIMA

Abstract：Today， tourism is a major source of income for many countries， and affects the economy of both the source and host countries， in some cases being of vital importance.Uzbekistan with its numerous ancient monuments， rich nature， and the present-day rapid progress attracts the whole world's attention. Uzbekistan tourism sector has been rapidly growing over the past 10 years and today Uzbekistan is one of the most visited countries within the limits of the world-famous brand the“Great Silk Road”.

Key words：tourism；silk road；cultural tourism；travel an visit to Uzbekistan

【摘要】烏兹别克斯坦拥有众多的古迹，丰富的自然，当今的快速进步吸引了全世界的关注。乌兹别克斯坦旅游业在过去十年迅速增长，今天乌兹别克斯坦是世界知名品牌“大丝绸之路”限制范围内最受欢迎的国家之一。

【关键词】旅游；丝绸之路；文化旅游；旅游和访问在乌兹别克斯坦

Uzbekistan has unique competitive advantages of international tourism development. On the territory of the republic there are over 4 thousand monuments， many of which are under the protection of UNESCO. Places tourists attractions and Uzbekistan are the most popular in all of Central Azia.V the same time， Uzbekistan is actively involved in the UN project on sustainable human development. UN experts believe that tourism， ensuring sustainable development of the country， contribute to the conservation of cultural and natural heritage. Uzbekistan is becoming more popular. This fact encourages the rapid development of the hospitality industry with the approach to the world standards of quality and customer service with the introduction of innovations in the field of cultural tourism.

Uzbekistan today is a new independent state in Central Asia. After the collapse of the USSR Uzbekistan chose peace-loving democratic policy and launched reforms to develop a market economy and enter international economic society as a full member. The Republic of Uzbekistan is situated in the central part of Central Asia between two rivers： the Amudarya and Syrdarya. The Turan Lowland lies to the northwest， and the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alay mountain ridges are located in the southeast of the territory. The Kyzyl-Kum Desert defines the Northern part of the country. Uzbekistan borders Turkmenistan， Kazakhstan， Tajikistan， and Afghanistan.

“What Uzbekistan particularly has to offer is something unique in Central Asia. Kazakhstan may have its wide open steppe and be the home of apples. Kyrgyzstan is still intact with its nomadic lives and huge mountains – something also true of Tajikistan. But Uzbekistan is the true heart and soul of the region with a rich agrarian， settled， culture-laden atmosphere. Its ancient cities some up the shear romanticism of the region – from Samarkand to Bukhara…a heady scent of the Old Silk Road. It never disappoints. The image and the reality are heavily intertwined here. Muslim scholars， traditional dress， bountiful food from the steppe， the music， the architecture... its all here - the heart of cultural Turkic-speaking Central Asia.”

Uzbekistan is a country with vast underused capabilities in tourism.

Tourist activities in Uzbekistan range from outdoor activities， such as rock-climbing， to exploration of its rich archeological and religious history.

The World Tourism Organization's Silk Road Office was opened in 2004 in Samarkand. This office is commissioned to coordinate the efforts of international organisations and national tourism administrations of countries located on the Silk Road.

The development of tourism in Uzbekistan has several stages. The first stage is the organization of tourism as one branch of economy on the basis of enterprises being of different ownership type - the State Committee of the USSR on Foreign Tourism， the Bureau of Youth Tourism Sputnik within the Komsomol， the trade-union organizations， etc. This period covers 1992-1995. Since this moment there started privatization of tourist objects， construction of small private hotels and it was a beginning of international tourist fair in Tashkent.

The second stage covers 1995-2000. This stage is characterized as a time of development of tourism infrastructure， creation of nongovernmental corporate tourist associations. Within this period there were programmatic goals set such as the Program of Tourism Development till 2005. There is a process of large investments into hotel networks， expanding of small hotels network， providing privileges to small and medium businesses.

The third period covers the years since 2001 to the present. There is an on-going privatization process of enterprises from the National Uzbektourism Company. The interdepartmental agreements are concluded to facilitate tourist procedures. The government attracts foreign investments and management companies into tourism and hotel businesses. National tourist administration has been instructed to develop draft Program of Tourism Development till 2010.

The national legislation related to tourism provides favorable climate for this sector of economy. There are privileges for tourist companies made in form of joint venture. There are also some privileges for foreign investors to the sphere of tourism. Besides that there are norms to support private tourism business.

Uzbekistan is a country with potential for an expanded tourism industry. Many of its Central Asian cities were main points of trade on the Silk Road， linking Eastern and Western civilizations. Today the museums of Uzbekistan store over two million artifacts， evidence of the unique historical， cultural and spiritual life of the Central Asian peoples that have lived in the region. Uzbekistan attracts tourists with its historical， archeological， architectural and natural treasures.

According to the Statistical Internet Survey， carried out in May 7-August 27， 2008， the largest proportion of those surveyed （39%） visit the country because of their interest in the architectural and historical sites of Uzbekistan. The next-largest group （24%） visit Uzbekistan to observe its culture， way of life and customs.

Cultural Tourism is the only major product Uzbekistan is providing to visitors since its independence. Samarkand， Bukhara and Khiva are hot spots of tourism.

Tourist activities in Uzbekistan range from outdoor activities， such as rock-climbing， to exploration of its rich archeological and religious history.

In 2016， 260，000 tourists from 118 countries visited Uzbekistan. The industry earned US$30 million （90.9% of forecast）. Overall， the tourism sector served 621，700 people and rendered services for 40.6 billion soums （73.1% of forecast）. The industry earned 598.4 million soums. Each autumn， the Uzbek travel industry holds an International Tourism Fair.

Uzbekistan is located on the Great Silk Road and many neighboring countries （including Kazakhstan， Kyrgyz Republic， Tajikistan and Turkmenistan） promote their countries based on their location along the Great Silk Road.

The World Tourism Organization's Silk Road Office was opened in 2004 in Samarkand. This office was commissioned to coordinate the efforts of international organisations and national tourism offices of countries located on the Silk Road. Uzbekistan is also member of The Region Initiative （TRI）. TRI is a Tri-regional Umbrella of Tourism related organisations. TRI is functioning as a link between three regions——South Asia， Central Asia and Eastern Europe which is also by Armenia， Bangladesh， India， Georgia， Kazakhstan， Kyrgyzstan， India， Pakistan， Nepal， Tajikistan， Russia， Sri Lanka， Turkey and Ukraine.

The legendary Silk Road passed through the territories ofmodern Uzbekistan， Samarkand， Bukhara and Khiva preserved ancient architectural monuments and the magic charm of the ancient East. It is these places， pride and glory of the country， may be the main attractions， appealing to guests from abroad. Tourism in Uzbekistan - is a relatively newthe direction of the country's economy. Perhaps， with the right policies in this area， the creation of infrastructure， the development of interesting excursion routes and transport links make the country speaking tourists currently. In the future， it may well compete with other Asian powers， offering their own unique routes and program host.

On the territory of Uzbekistan there are many cities where hundreds of architectural monuments from different ages are located. Among them are Samarkand， Bukhara， Khiva， Shakhrizabs， Termez and Kokand. These cities were centers of science and art. Great architects created palaces， mosques and mausoleums， world famous monuments of ancient architecture memorializing Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. Many of those masterpieces have not survived to the present； however， from those which have been preserved， it is possible to restore the pages of the distant past. The Great Silk Road， one of the most significant achievements in history of World civilization， also passed through these cities. To enjoy your stay in these historical sites imbued with the atmosphere of ancient times， great efforts have been made to ensure that modern travelers feel comfortable and secure. Therefore， a great number of new hotels and guest houses have appeared， new restaurants and cafes have reached international Standards， and modern means of transportation， from cars to tour buses， are available to transport more and more travelers.

Traveling around Uzbekistan is an adventure filled with fascinating cultural discoveries， history and breathtaking natural beauty. Travelers have the opportunity to travel through living history， not just among remnants kept in the confines of a museum， but also experience the silence of the distant past among the sites of ancient settlements， temples and tombs - a great place to escape from busy civilization. They still serve as places for religious pilgrimage， as they have for a thousand years. You will always remember the tall minarets， grandiose madrassahs and mosques， palaces and mausoleums decorated with incredible ceramic ornamentation， noisy and colorful oriental bazaars， interesting legends， and the warm hospitality and ancient traditions of the local people.

This is a land full of oriental romance， for anyone in search of a view into the past. A land of cotton and orchards， entertaining bazaars， and artisans practicing their trades in the same manner as has been done for thousands of years.

Deserts which were the center of the ancient creation of countless nations， caravan paths that crossed the vast， scorching land， all this was once a part of the Great Silk Road connecting ancient China and Europe. These days the modern tourism infrastructure allows for easy travel in the desert and steppe areas of this region， where you can experience adventurous camel riding， sleep in yurts - the only dwellings in the boundless desert， equipped with all necessary facilities， and spend an evening next to the fire listening to a folklore performance.

The mountainous regions of Uzbekistan can also be considered some of the most beautiful landscapes in Central Asia. These picturesque places are worth seeing for those who want to connect with nature， to withdraw from reality and consider their own place in the world. Forests intermingle with alpine meadows， which in turn give way to snow capped summits with mighty tongues of glaciers. The western Tian-Shan mountaintops glitter under the blue sky， and below them lie alpine pastures， savage gorges and river rapids that are difficult to access and have for years have been an attraction for adventure seekers. Summer tourism activities include mountain biking， hiking， trekking， rafting， canoeing， mountaineering， horse riding and leisure accommodations in newly built mountain resorts. Winter in the mountains is likewise full of opportunities for heli-boarding， heli-skiing， snowboarding and paragliding. Professional instructors provide high quality services for the achievement of your adventure dreams.

In addition to the famous traditions of Uzbek hospitality， which are so deeply rooted within its people， the unique local customs and tasty national cuisine of Uzbekistan make it a very attractive tourism destination for travelers from all over the world.

Yet Uzbekistan is not only about white-haired old men， the unique cultural heritage of its people， oriental hospitality and famous Uzbek cuisine. Uzbekistan is also modern， a perfect place for rest， amusement and even. filmmaking！ Interesting， inexpensive， clean， safe - these are the pillars that support what many call an exciting trip to Uzbekistan.

At the moment， the interest of the world is being drawn to the great trans-continental routes of the ancient world. The Great Silk Road is a rich tapestry of tourism destinations and products based on the unique and outstandingly rich heritage， nature， and traditions of the dozens of distinct histories， peoples and cultures all along the timeless route， now extending a warm welcome to visitors.

In 1993 the UNWTO initiated a long-term project to organize and promote the Silk Road as a tourism concept. In 1994， representatives from 19 participating nations came together and adopted the historic Samarkand Declaration on Silk Road Tourism and approved a special logo to be used by all the governments， organizations and private sector entities involved.

Since then， forums and meetings have been held， and in 2002 the participants adopted the Bukhara Declaration on Silk Road Tourism which stressed the benefits of sustainable tourism and outlined specific steps to stimulate cultural and ecological tourism to Silk Road destinations. A Silk Road Tourism Office， hosted by the Uzbek government and with support of UNWTO was opened in Samarkand in 2004.

The World Tourism Organization published a Silk Road Tourism brochure in 1997， which was highly appreciated by the countries participating in the UNWTO Silk Road Project. This new brochure presents a mosaic of tourism products， sites and attractions in the Silk Road region as a whole， with the objective of contributing to a better knowledge of its tourism potential.

What's more， the famous traditions of Uzbek hospitality， which are so deeply rooted within its people， specific local custom and tasteful national cuisine， make Uzbekistan a very attractive tourism destination for travelers from all over the world.

Uzbekistan is the earth of legends， bright sunshine， fresh fruits and cheery friendly people. Welcome to Uzbekistan - an oasis of peace， a land where ancient history and modern culture converge， a country located at the mid-point of the Great Silk Road！ It's the oldest land in Central Asia， maintaining a twenty-five century long history， a country with a specific historical and cultural community different from that of other regions. Recently， tourist interest in Uzbekistan has markedly increased and accordingly， the range of travel facilities and the services of local tour operators are being expanded year by year in order to draw more travelers to explore this wonderful place.

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【作者簡介】

BABABEKOVA KHALIMA，中文名：小花（1986—），女，乌兹别克斯坦人，华中师范大学城市与环境科学学院博士研究生，主要研究方向：现代乌兹别克斯坦的旅游发展。

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