석사 학위논문

Global Strategies for Cultural

Tourism of Uzbekistan
우즈베키스탄의 문화관광을 위한 글로벌 전략

2021 년 2 월 22 일

전북대학교대학원

무역학과

카리모브 마무르벡
Karimov Mamurbek
Global Strategies for Cultural
Tourism of Uzbekistan
우즈베키스탄의 문화관광을 위한 글로벌 전략

2021 년 2 월 22 일

전북대학교대학원

무역학과

카리모브 마무르벡
Karimov Mamurbek

Global Strategies for Cultural

Tourism of Uzbekistan
 우즈베키스탄의 문화관광을 위한 글로벌 전략

지도교수 정 지 영

이 논문을 경제학 석사 학위논문으로 제출함.

2020 년 10 월 21 일

전북대학교대학원

무역학과

카리모브 마무르벡
Karimov Mamurbek

마무르벡의 석사학위논문을 인준함.

위원장 전북대학교 부교수 최남석 (인)

부위원장 전북대학교 조교수 석준호 (인)

위 원 전북대학교 교수 정지영 (인)

2020 년 12 월 16 일

전북대학교대학원
 Table of Contents

List of Tables………………………………………………………...………iii
List of Figures…………………………………………………….
………….iv
Abstract……………………………………...……………………………….v

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION……………………………………….…1
1.1 Background of the
Study……………………………………………….1
1.2 Scope and Methodology of the Thesis……………………………..2
1.3 Purpose and Tasks of the
Thesis………………………………………..3
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………....4
2.1 Definitions of Cultural
Tourism………………………………………..4
2.1.1 Technical and Conceptual Definitions of Tourism…………...…4
2.2.2 Culture……………………………………………………………6
2.2.3 Relation Between Culture and Tourism……………………….…7
2.2.4 Cultural Tourism ………….……………………………………...9
2.2.5 Economic Impact of Cultural
Tourism…………………………..11
2.2 Theoretical Analysis
………………………………………………….12
2.3 Empirical Study ………………………………………………………

I
 16
2.3.1 Material and Research Methods…………………………………
16
2.3.2 Analysis and Results…………………………………………….18
2.4 Culturalization………………………………………………………..21
2.4.1 Definition of Culturalization……………………………………21
2.4.2 Cultural economy and Cultural Production …………………….24
2.5 Uzbek Culture………………………………………………………27
CHAPTER III OVERVIEW OF UZBEKISTAN’S ECONOMY…...…29
3.1 General Information Regarding Uzbekistan………………………..…
29
3.2 Main Macroeconomic Indicators…………………………………..…30
3.3 Trade Metrics…………………………………………………………33
CHAPTER IV CULTURAL TOURISM IN UZBEKISTAN…………..…
37
4.1 Current Situation of Tourism Industry …………………………...…37
4.1.1 Structure and Characteristics of Tourism Industry………………
37
4.1.2 Types of
Tourism………………………………………………...43
4.1.3 Logistics in the Tourism……………………………………..
…..45
4.2 Performance of Cultural
Tourism……………………………………..48
4.3 SWOT Analysis of Cultural Tourism…………………………………

II
 54
4.4 Problems facing Cultural
Tourism…………………………………….58
CHAPTER V GLOBAL STRATEGIES FOR CULTURAL TOURISM
IN UZBEKISTAN………………………………………..61
5.1 Benchmarking Cases for Cultural
Tourism…………………………...61
5.1.1 Europe………………………………………………………..
….61
5.1.2 America…………………………………………………………67
5.1.3 Asia and the Pacific…………………………………………...…
72
5.2 Strategies for Cultural Tourism of Uzbekistan……………...…...……
78
5.2.1 Culturalization Strategies……………………………………..…
80
5.2.2 Short -Term Strategies…………………………………………..85
5.2.3 Long -Term Strategies………………………………………...…
93
CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION ……………………………………….…96
References……………………………………………………………….....98

List of Tables

<Table 1> Theoretical analysis of Cultural Tourism. Summary of Related

III
 Studies…………………………………………………………...14
<Table 2> Statistical Estimation of Tourism Attractiveness in Uzbekistan
Based on Delphi Model (from 1–7 points, 2019)
………………………..19
<Table 3> ABC Model and Its Analysis (2019)………………………………
20
<Table 4> Summary on Definitions of Culturalization………………………
23
<Table 5> General information about Uzbekistan (2019)……………………
29
<Table 6> Overview of Uzbekistan’ Economy………………………………
30
<Table 7> Uzbekistan Transportation Profile
2018…………………………..46
<Table 8> The share of the "Culture and heritage" sector in Uzbekistan's GDP
(2015-2017)…………………………………...……...………….50
<Table 9> UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Uzbekistan……………………
51
<Table 10> SWOT Analysis of Cultural Tourism in
Uzbekistan…………….54
<Table 11> Key problems of the Tourism sector……..……………….……..58

IV
 Table of Figures

<Figure 1> Definitions of cultural tourism…………………………………..10

<Figure 2> Component of Culture
Heritage………………………………….15
<Figure 3> Model structure of T-ABC (2018)
………………………………..17
<Figure 4> GDP Growth of Uzbekistan. 2010-2019 (billion US dollars)
…….31
<Figure 5> GDP Composition 2019(billion US dollars)
……………………..32
<Figure 6> Employment Structure by Sector (2018)…………………………
32
<Figure 7> Export Structure of Uzbekistan (1992-2018)
…………………….34
<Figure 8> Export Partners of Uzbekistan (2019)……………………………
35
<Figure 9> Travel and Tourism Total Contribution to GDP of Uzbekistan (in
percentage, 2011-2018 )………………………………………..37
<Figure 10> The Volume of export of services (2019)
……………………….38

V
<Figure 11> The amount of coming visitors (million people)
……………….38
<Figure 12> The spread of the touristic flow monthly, (thousand people)
…..39
<Figure 13> Accommodation facilities in Uzbekistan…….…………………
40

ABSTRAСT

Global Strategies for Сultural Tourism of Uzbekistan

Karimov Mamurbek
Department of International Trade
The Graduate Sсhool
Jeonbuk National University

Сultural Tourism is experienсing сontinuous expansion and

VI
diversifiсation in reсent years. It has beсome a popular and attraсtive seсtor to
impart mental reсreation and as an instrument for eсonomiс growth.
Uzbekistan is a сountry of diversified сulture enriсhed with сultural resourсes.
This researсh provides an analysis of Сultural tourism of Uzbekistan and its
attraсtiveness and сompetitiveness of destinations. It reviews national or
regional experienсes and praсtiсes of destinations where сultural resourсes are
driving overall attraсtiveness. It also examines the development of сulture and
tourism and distribution proсesses in relation to сultural resourсes, identifying
the key faсtors and poliсy interventions. Also, the researсh identifies the
opportunities and сhallenges the сountry may faсe to flourish сultural tourism.
Based on a range of сase studies, the analysis identifies best praсtiсe and the
most effeсtive poliсies for enhanсing the attraсtiveness of destinations
сapitalizing on their сultural resourсes. Finally, global strategies are made to
enhanсe сultural tourism of Uzbekistan with various experienсes and poliсies
by foсusing on heritage sites, the diverse folk сustoms, revolutionary reliсs
and long-lasting leisure and arсhiteсtural traditions, and сreate a favorable
tourism atmosphere by exploring more partiсipatory projeсts suсh as сultural
festivals and designing сulture-themed tourism lines.
From analysis of developing the tourism seсtor, Uzbekistan сan take
neсessary measures to benefit from its enormous historiсal, arсheologiсal,
natural, сultural and soсial advantages to win more tourists, thus gaining a
higher share in the world tourist revenues in the future.

Keywords: Сultural Tourism, Сulture, Culturalization,

Eсonomiс Strategies, Uzbekistan
VII
VIII
 СHAPTER I INTRODUСTION
1.1 Baсkground of the Study
Сultural tourism is one of the oldest forms of travel and still сontinues to
be a mainstay of the tourism industry in most parts of the world. Aссording to
the OEСD (2018), сultural tourism aссounted for around 40% of all
international tourism, or 50 million arrivals in 2017. In 2018, Travel &
Tourism generated $8.8 trillion and supported 319 million jobs aсross the
world. Uzbekistan in the way of integration with other Сentral Asian
сountries, with its riсhly diverse сultural inheritanсe and wealth of natural
tourism attraсtions spanning aсross 12,000 kilometers, unique World Heritage
Sites and through distinсtive tourism presenсe, is making a great interest of
tourist from all over the world.
Uzbekistan is a сountry with the potential for the expanded tourism
industry. Many of its Сentral Asian сities were main points of trade on the
Silk Road, linking Eastern and Western сivilizations. Uzbekistan attraсts
tourists with its historiсal, arсhaeologiсal, arсhiteсtural and natural treasures.
On the other hand, the Silk Road is a unique network of tourism destinations
with signifiсant potential for improves. So, the intensive development of the
tourism industry in Uzbekistan, inсluding respeсt for the historiсal and
сultural heritage, the сreation of infrastruсture that fully meets international
standards.
The growing volume and сomplexity of tourism serviсes have generated
the development of a real tourist industry that justifies treating the
phenomenon of tourism as a distinсt branсh of the growing eсonomy in the
world. By its nature, the tourism phenomenon is a partiсularly сomplex, with

1
profound soсial, politiсal, сultural and eсonomiс impliсations.
1.2 Sсope and Methodology of the Thesis
Loсated in the heart of Сentral Asia, Uzbekistan is ready to expand its
travel and tourism industry with its riсh сultural and historiсal heritage,
friendly people, and natural beauty. The number of foreign travelers visiting
Uzbekistan has grown rapidly from 1.9 million people in 2014 to 6.7 million
in 2019. Meanwhile, the сountry сurrently laсks but urgently needs
international сlass hotels in the Great Silk Road сities of Samarkand, Bukhara
and Khiva – the most remarkable tourism destinations in the region whiсh
attraсt many foreign tour groups. Therefore in this thesis will try to find the
suссessful faсtors of сultural tourism industry of seleсted сountries and
сompare that with Uzbekistan.
To assess the Сontribution of Сultural Tourism in the Eсonomiс
development of Uzbekistan, the method, "analysis of the struсture and the size
of the eсonomy," was used. The essenсe of the method is to quantify the
eсonomiс performanсe of the сultural seсtor and to сompare them with those
of other seсtors of the eсonomy and the national eсonomy in general.
For appliсation of this method offiсial statistiсs is mainly used. If these
data are not suffiсient, they сan be supplemented with quantitative and
qualitative field researсh.
Compared with some other countries located in the same region and
offering similar tourism products, Uzbekistan has more variety and number of
tourist resources, and more precisely, it has an advantage geopolitical
location, rich cultural, historical and natural heritage. Meanwhile, today
Uzbekistan has a very modest place in the global tourist market.

2
1.3 Purpose Tasks of the Thesis
The aim of this research is to examine the degree of the influence of
Cultural Tourism on economic development of Uzbekistan. Descriptive goals
of this study aim to helps government associates in having a sustainable
development. And finally helps to government to understand the importance
of tourism industry in Uzbekistan. The thesis presented here has explored
some methods and strategies that community groups and localities can pursue
to develop cultural tourism opportunities. This study aims to identify and
discuss the key problems of cultural tourism and give solutions that determine
national competitiveness. These findings contribute to an understanding of the
key factors that determine economic growth, help to explain what tourism
allows to be more successful in raising income levels and offer policymakers
and international trade leaders an important tool in the formulation of
improved economic policies and institutional reforms.
This research is divided into six main parts. Chapter II introduces the
basic concepts, characteristics and multiple impacts of the Tourism and
Culture. And other chapters consist of overview of Uzbekistan’s economy,
main two chapters, conclusion and list of references.
For many countries in Central Asia, however, envisioning the future is a
complex matter. Political, economic, and social crises caused by the sudden
collapse of the Soviet Union have dominated the relatively short history of
independence enjoyed by these states. The countries of Central Asia are now
at the stage of development where they must complete their political and
economic transitions and choose a path that would lead them into the ranks of

3
prosperous developed nations.
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Definitions of Cultural Tourism

With tourism industry widely recognized for its tangible outcomes,
cultural tourism is gaining importance and attention as the primary focus to
attract visitors.

2.1.1 Technical and Conceptual Definitions of Tourism.

Tourism is perhaps an easier concept to deal with than culture, because
the complexities involved are usually interpretive rather than value-laden.
Tourism definitions can be either conceptual, trying to describe what tourism
is, or technical, which enable the volume and value of tourism to be
measured. Conceptual definitions can be very wide ranging indeed. For
example, the Tourism Society in the UK defines tourism as:
"The temporary short-term movement of people to destinations outside
the places where they normally live and work, and activities during their stay
at these destinations; it includes movement for all purposes, as well as day
visits and excursions".
There has been considerable debate in recent years over technical
definitions, because these have tended to vary from one country to another,
making international comparisons difficult. The World Tourism Organization
(WTO) definition as amended in 1993 is now widely accepted, however, and
is also applied by the European Commission (1995). The WTO definition of
tourism includes
"the activities of persons during their travel and stay in a place outside

4
their usual place of residence, for a continuous period of less than one year,
for leisure, business or other purposes" (World Tourism Organization, 1993).
Tourism is a temporary, short term movement of people to destination
outside the places where they normally live and work their activities during
the stay at each destination (Chutia, 2018). The most usually accepted
definition of tourism is that provided by the World Tourism Organisation:
“Tourism comprises the activities of persons travelling to and staying in
places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year
for leisure, business and other purposes.” This definition includes the word
‘staying’ and suggests that tourists stay at least one night.
Tourism plays a foundational role in framing the various services that
hospitability companies perform. Tourism affects other industry sectors,
such as public transportation, foodservice, lodging, entertainment, and
recreation. It requires inputs of an economic, social, cultural and
environmental nature (Lickorish and Jenkins, 2014). In addition, tourism
produces secondary impacts on businesses that are affected indirectly, which
is known as the multiplier effect. From a social and cultural perspective,
tourism can further international understanding and economically improve
poorer countries.
In this regard, it has been insisted that general travel conditions to
Central Asia include barriers and decision influencers so as to shape the
satisfaction of tourists with their experience (Rakhmonov, 2017). Applying
this approach it can be learnt more about tourism in Uzbekistan, including its
enormous potential and the steps that should be taken to ensure that visits to
the jewel of the Silk Road are an unforgettable and genuinely unique

5
experience.

2.1.2 Culture

Culture is a more complex concept than tourism, as is evidenced by the

extent of the debate over the term and the hundreds of definitions that exist.
Again, the purpose here is not to contribute to the debate or to provide an
overview of the numerous definitions, but rather to examine the ways in
which the term culture is used. Upon examining the modem usage of the term
culture, Williams identified three broad categories: "(i) as a general process of
intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic development; (ii) as indicative of a
particular 'way of life'; and (iii) as the works and practices of intellectual and
artistic activity" (Richards, 2018).
There are more than hundreds version comprising the term of culture as a
human identity that involved the ways of life, language, religion, arts, and so
on. Some define in a narrows sense that culture is a kind of expressions and a
kind works of art. On the other hands defines in a broader sense that culture is
the totality of human ability to deal with his life, to survive physically,
emotionally, and mentally. In a common sense, however, culture is a total
configuration of those faculties that characterize a society, or a nation. The
culture itself as a identity has the same traits and can be grouped into
component of living culture ( social, economic, political, Language, religion,
living and esthetics), wisdom and technology ( living, peacefulness, easiness,
language, education, technological science), and also culture heritage
( artifact, monument, manuscript, tradition, and artistic).

6
 Over time, a shift in meanings has occurred away from the former and
towards the latter two categories, resulting in two basic uses of the term
culture in current academic literature: culture as process and culture as
product (Richards, 2018).
Culture as process is an anthropological and sociological approach
which regards culture mainly as a symbolic system or codes of conduct by
which and through which people create and recreate shared values, beliefs and
attitudes allowing people to make sense of their existence and their
experiences (Zadel, 2013). As Meethan states: culture ... is seen as a set of
practices, based on forms of knowledge, which encapsulate common values
and act as general guiding principles.
The culture as product approach derives particularly from literary
criticism. Culture is regarded as the product of individual or group activities
to which certain meanings are attached. Thus ’high’ culture might be used by
some to refer to the products of famous artists, whereas ’low’ culture might
refer to TV soap programmes.

2.1.3 Relation Between Culture and Tourism

In recent decades, tourism and culture have become inextricably linked
partly due to the increased interest in culture, particularly as a source of local
identity in the face of globalization, the growth of tourism and easier
accessibility of cultural assets and experiences. Furthermore, cultural tourism
has been viewed as a desirable, ‘good’ form of tourism for nations and regions
to develop, because it generates cultural, social and economic benefits.
Synergies between tourism and culture have therefore long been noted.

7
 The growing articulation between culture and tourism was stimulated
by a number of factors:

 Increased interest in culture, particularly as a source of identity and

differentiation in the face of globalization.
 Growing levels of cultural capital, stimulated by rising education levels.
 Aging populations in developed regions.
 Postmodern consumption styles, emphasizing personal development
rather than materialism.
 A desire for direct forms of experience (“life seeing” rather than
sightseeing).
 Growing importance of intangible culture and the role of image and
atmosphere.
 Increased mobility creating easier access to other cultures.
 Development of cultural tourism to stimulate jobs and income.
The UNWTO report on Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development 1
argued that: “Culture and tourism have a symbiotic relationship. Arts and
crafts, dances, rituals, and legends which are at risk of being forgotten by the
younger generation may be revitalized when tourists show a keen interest in
them. Monuments and cultural relics may be preserved by using funds
generated by tourism. In fact, those monuments and relics which have been
abandoned suffer decay from lack of visitation.” Today, however, the
relationship between tourism and culture is being rapidly transformed by
changing lifestyles, new forms of culture and creativity and the development
of new technologies.
1
World Tourism Organization (2016).
8
2.1.4 Cultural Tourism
Cultural tourism was also one of the types of tourism that received a new
operational definition from the UNWTO at the 22nd Session of the General
Assembly held in Chengdu, China (UNWTO, 2017: 18): Cultural tourism is a
type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s essential motivation is to learn,
discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural
attractions/products in a tourism destination. These attractions/products relate
to a set of distinctive material, intellectual, spiritual and emotional features of
a society that encompasses arts and architecture, historical and cultural
heritage, culinary heritage, literature, music, creative industries and the living
cultures with their lifestyles, value systems, beliefs and traditions.
This new definition confirms the much broader nature of contemporary
cultural tourism, which relates not just to sites and monuments, but to ways of
life, creativity and ‘everyday culture’. As the UNWTO (2018) report
emphasises, the field of cultural tourism has moved away from the previous
emphasis on classic western tangible heritage towards a much broader and
inclusive field of diverse cultural practices in all corners of the world. In this
sense the new definition mirrors the development of the production and
consumption of cultural tourism.
The changing nature of cultural tourism was recently brought into focus
by a UNWTO Report on Tourism and Culture Synergies (2018), which
included online surveys covering 43% of UNWTO Member States as well as
61 international experts and academics in the field. This study confirmed the
importance of the cultural tourism, with 89% of national tourism
administrations indicating that cultural tourism was part of their tourism

9
policy. The respondents also indicated that they expected further growth in
cultural tourism in the following five years. This was estimated to account for
over 39% of all international tourism arrivals, or the equivalent of around 516
million international trips in 2017. This provides an apparent vindication of
the long quoted, but largely unsubstantiated estimate that cultural tourism
accounts for 40% of global tourism (Anthony, 2018). The crucial point,
however, is how cultural tourism is defined – a debate that has raged for a
long time (Ashworth (1995); Richards, 2018; du Cros and McKercher, 2014;
Katarzyna. 2016).

<Figure 1> Definitions of cultural tourism

Cultural Tourism

Conceptual Definition Technical Definition

“the movement of persons to "all of movements of persons
cultural attractions away from to specific cultural attractions,
their normal place of residence, such as heritage sites, artistic
with the intention to gather new and cultural manifestations,
information and experiences to arts and drama outside their
satisfy their cultural needs” normal place of residance"

Sources: Ashworth (1995) and Richards (1996)

In 2009, OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and

Development) defined cultural tourism as "the subset of tourism concerned
with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in
those geographical areas, the history of those people, their art, architecture,

10
religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life.

2.1.5 Economic Impact of Cultural Tourism

Cultural tourism has long had an important economic dimension,
particularly because the income derived from tourism is argued to help
support the preservation of cultural heritage2. In many cases, however, debates
have emerged about the extent to which income streams derived from tourism
have reached the cultural amenities that help to attract tourists (Richards,
2018, Ashworth, 1995). Many discussions of cultural tourism, particularly in
emerging economies, also revolve around the need to spread tourism
geographically (e.g. Ivanovic & Saayman, 2013).
Growing interest in the relationship between cultural tourism and
economics is marked by a recent special issue of the Journal of Cultural
Economics (2017). This includes a number of papers reflecting on issues such
as the spending habits of cultural tourists in Amsterdam and the impact of
cultural participation in destinations in attracting cultural tourists (Guccio,
Lisi, Martorana & Mignosa, 2017). In their introduction to the special issue on
“The Economics of Cultural Tourism” Noonan and Rizzo (2017) admit that
little theoretical advancement has been made.
Ivanovic and Saayman (2013) show the leading role that cultural
activities play in attracting long-haul and first time visitors to Spain. These
cultural tourists also tend to spend more than other international tourists, and
play a major role in supporting Spanish Museums. Noonan and Rizzo (2015)
also demonstrate the role of cultural tourism in reducing seasonality in
Andalucía. In Italy, Guccio, Lisi, Mignosa and Rizzo (2018) assess the impact

2
Zadel. Z. and Bogdan. S. (2013)
11
of the monetary value of cultural heritage on tourism. They find that a million
euros worth of cultural heritage generates about 1000 more cultural visitors,
which underlines the strong relationship between the regional performance of
the tourism sector and cultural visitors. Entwistle and Slater (2014) also
looked at the attractiveness of art exhibitions for tourists in Italy. They
conclude that “temporary art exhibitions contribute to increase tourist flows if
they are part of a structural characteristic of a destination”.

2.2 Theoretical Analysis

The growing body of cultural tourism scholarship is confirmed by a
literature search on the term “cultural tourism”. Cultural tourism sources have
risen from less than 100 in 1990 to over 6000 in 2016. Growth was
particularly sharp between 2005 and 2015, and cultural tourism publications
have risen as a proportion of all tourism publications, to reach nearly 5% by
20173. This growth has also been supported by a number of flourishing sub-
themes in the field. These also tend to relate to some major academic
disciplines, such as sociology, economics, anthropology and psychology. The
current review covers first some of the major research areas related to these
fields, before summarising some of the major emerging research trends.
Because of the vast scope of the literature most attention has been paid to
research articles published since 2010. Other sources can provide overviews
of the literature up to this date (e.g. Richards, 2018 and du Cros and
McKercher, 2014). Some of the major research themes that emerge from our
review of publications listed in the table include cultural tourism as a form of
cultural consumption, motivations for cultural tourism, the economic aspects

3
Kumar, A. (2017)
12
of cultural tourism, the relationship between tourism and cultural heritage, the
growth of the creative economy, and the links between anthropology and
cultural tourism4.
Cultural tourism as a form of cultural consumption has been a
particularly important topic for sociological studies in the field. Much of this
research has sought to understand the cultural tourism audience and in
particular the variation and stratification within it. Early discussions of
cultural tourism also developed a division between ‘general’ and ‘specific’
cultural tourists, with the former consuming culture as part of a general
holiday experience, and the latter travelling purposefully to engage in some
aspect of the culture of the destination. This simple dichotomy was later
extended to cover different typologies of cultural tourists, based on features
such as the depth and purposefulness of cultural motivation (Du Cros and
McKercher, 2014), visits to attractions and events or the degree of mixing or
‘omnivorousness’ in cultural tourism behaviour (Chen and Tsai, 2009).
Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic
or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theaters. It
can also include tourism in rural areas showcasing the traditions of
indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and
lifestyle, as well as niches like industrial tourism and creative tourism 5.

<Table 1> Theoritical analysis of Cultural Tourism. Summary of Related

Studies

Contributors Year Contributions

4
Pololikashvili, Z. (2018), Tourism and Culture Synergies,
5
Herrera, F.J and J. Y. Jeong (2018)
13
 D. Light 1996 Described Heritage tourism as belonging to the
middle -class, well -educated, middleaged, no
children, on holiday away from home and who
have a prior knowledge of history.
D.K. Shifflet 2001 Identified three types of heritage tourists: “core”,
“moderate” and “low”.
B. Graham 2003 Described Heritage as cultural and economic
capital, vulnerable to exploitation of various types.
Chen and 2009 Conclude that a key effect of tourist satisfaction
Tsai that influences tourism intentions for revisit both in
short and long term is loyalty to the destination.
Chi and Qu 2011 Maintained loyalty to be a better predictor of actual
behavior compared to satisfaction.

Heritage, particularly built and tangible heritage has long been one of the
fundaments of cultural tourism. As Zadel (2013) suggests, the definition of
heritage is almost as fraught as the discussion about cultural tourism.
However, much of the research on cultural heritage has tended to concentrate
on specific aspects of heritage, such as the destination of ‘World Heritage
Sites’ (WHS), or debates surrounding ‘contested heritage’ consumed by
tourists and others (Du Cros & McKercher, 2015).

<Figure 2> Component of Culture Heritage

CULTURE HERITAGE

TANGIBLE INTANGIBLE
1. Monum ents 1. Traditions
2. Artifacts 2. Visual Arts
3. Manuscripts 3. Performi ng Arts
4. Minorities Customs
14
Source: Cultural System for Quality Managemnet 1999
Sources: Richards and Wilson (2004)

As Cooper (2017) argues in an Asian context, there is a need to listen to

more minority voices in cultural tourism, as many are current drowned out by
dominant narratives and ignored by western analyses of the tourism system.
There now seem to be more alternative voices emerging in research on
cultural tourism, but there is doubtless room for more, particularly as more
minority cultures themselves start travelling more (Lury and Terranova,
2012).
As a major Silk Road tourist destination, the country possesses exotic
tourist potential, distinct monuments of prehistoric times with unique natural
landscapes, which may focal role to become one of the principal tourist states
on the globe. That is why much attention devoted in Uzbekistan to the
development of tourism and expansion of corresponding infrastructure as one
of the priority directions of the nation's socio-economic development.

2.3 Empirical Study

This chapter aims to analyze the status and progress of tourism in

Uzbekistan using the example of Statistical Internet Survey 6 studied by
Jumayev A. (Tashkent finance institute, Tashkent, Uzbekistan). It is
empirically tested the relationship between tourism performance and multiple
tourism dimensions, namely, tourism Attractions (A), Basics (B), and Context
6
Jumayev, A. (2020)
15
(C). it is tested the Tourism A–B–C model using data from regions of
Uzbekistan.

2.3.1 Material and Research Methods

A number of inbound tourists and international tourism receipts — both

deemed as key measures for assessing for our research, it has been selected
the T-ABC model, one of the most powerful methods for influencing the
innovative development of tourism. First, it has a new model, and secondly, it
fully meets the requirements of international indices that assess tourism
innovation.
The model was proposed by 2018 by Al Manrai and S. Friedeborn,
University of Delaware Universities, one of the world’s leading tourism
research centers.
To be able to develop the theory behind our study of tourism in the
fourteen regions in Uzbekistan, we must first introduce the T-ABC Model.
The Model dimensions, namely, attractions, basics or necessities, and context
or environment, were first identified by Manrai and later introduced as the
Tourism ABC (or T-ABC) model in Manrai, and Friedeborn . The Model
includes critical considerations that tourists take into account in their
destination choice.

<Figure 3> Model structure of T-ABC (2018).

Tourism performance
International Tourists, tourism receipts, hotel nights

T-A T-B
Tourism Attractions Tourism Basics T-C
1. Natural wonders, 1. Airports 16 Tourism Context
scenery
2. Miles of roadways 1. Literacy rate
2. Flora and fauna
3. Miles of railways 2. Crime index
3. National parks
4. Hotels 3. Life expectancy
4. World heritage sites
5. Restaurants 4. Pollution index
5. Museums
6. Tour operators 5. Doing Business
6. Cuisine
6. friendliness of people
Source: Jumayev, A. (2020)

Applied to the Uzbekistan context, the T-ABC Model dimension A stands

for “attractions” (historical places and natural resources of tourism),
dimension B stands for “basics” (accommodation, transportation etc.) and
dimension C stands for “context” (crime, the safety of the country
environment, etc.). Tourism context is comprised of factors that could create a
favorable impression, making it more likely that tourists would travel to a
destination.
The Tourism-ABC model. determining the number of tourists and tourist
expenditures. International tourist arrivals, international inbound tourists
visiting from abroad, and international tourism receipts, expenditures by
inbound international visitors from abroad, are deemed key measures used to
assess tourism performance, but other dimensions, such as travel and tourism
industry's total contribution to GDP and to employment, capture important
information as well .

2.3.2 Analysis and Results

The administrative-territorial division consists of the Republic of

Karakalpakstan, twelve regions and the city of Tashkent. Uzbekistan has a
favorable climate, with a certain degree of seasonal and daily fluctuations, a
dry and hot summer with summers, a humid climate, and a changeable winter.
Table 2 shows the statistical analysis of tourism attractiveness in
Uzbekistan. The places included in the UNESCO list are just historical places.
Our analysis shows that other countries include tourism resources not only
historically, but also natural tourism resources. Only four Bukhara,
17
Samarkand, Khorezm and Kashkadarya regions are included in the World
Heritage List. Samarkand, Bukhara and Khorezm regions were awarded the
highest points.

<Table 2> Statistical Estimation of Tourism Attractiveness in Uzbekistan

Based on Delphi Model (from 1–7 points, 2019)
Surkhandarya

Tashkent city
Kashkadarya

Samarkand
Namangan

Khorezm
Tashkent
Bukhara
Andijan

Fergana
Jizzakh

Navoi

World
√ √ √ √
Heritage
List
Natural
tourist 2.7 3.6 5.1 4.2 4.3 3.4 4.8 5.6 5.2 4 3.8 4
resources
Historical
tourist 2.6 6.9 2.3 4.1 3.3 2.7 6.9 5 3.2 4.2 6.2 4.9
resources
Source: Jumayev, A. (2020)

As of 2018, there are 816 hotels in the country, with a fund of about 40
000, of which 14 000 are located in Tashkent. The research shows that there
are not enough hotels in the seasonal times, but almost the same as the prices
of European hotels and the price is increasing substantially every year.
18
 The availability and condition of hotels are explained by the lack of
hotels in tourist centers. Our research has revealed that even the most
powerful tourist centers in Samarkand, Bukhara, Khorezm, hotels, their status,
knowledge and skills of tourists, and several other tourist infrastructures
preclude the development of tourism. If we make tourism services
competitive in only three regions of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khorezm,
tourism will be one of the most localized sectors of the economy.

<Table 3> ABC Model and Its Analysis (2019)

Tourism attractiveness Tourism Basics Tourism Context

A B C
Uzbekistan 4.2 4.1 4.4
Samarkand 5.8 5.3 5.1
Surkhandarya 5.3 3.6 3.8
Bukhara 5.2 4.9 4.9
Khorezm 5 4.6 4.4
Karakalpakstan R 4.7 3.3 3.8
Tashkent city 4.4 5.7 5.7
Kashkadarya 4.2 3.6 4
Tashkent 4.2 4.4 4.7
Fergana 4.1 4.1 4.4
Navoi 3.8 3.4 4.1
Jizzakh 3.7 3.3 3.8
Syrdarya 2.3 2.9 3.7
Source: Jumayev, A. (2020)

In this table, the ABC model described, the region of Samarkand is

higher than in other regions attractive, the city of Tashkent. the highest
tourism services, tourism and external factors that were identified.
In conclusion, the regression equation between the ABC model and the
tourists suggests that external factors influence the flow of tourists, the need
19
to strengthen Uzbekistan's position in the international tourism indexes, and to
boost external advertising. We can say that tourism is one of the most
important sectors of the economy. This is due to the fact that the value added
in the tourism industry is four times higher than in other areas and it is
possible to make the economy faster due to the diversification of the national
economy.

2.4 Culturalization

2.4.1 Definition of Culturalization

Culturalization arises from the diffusion of “culture” into all sectors of

economic activity (Lash and Urry 1994), which therefore necessitates a
different “cultural” approach. Rather than culture as a defined way of life or a
standardised entity confined to “high culture” or a “culture industry”, the
Post-Fordist economy means that culture must be examined through its
operations and its capacities for change (Lury et al 2012).
Culturalization differs from localization. Localization is the process of
making something local in character or restricting it to a particular place.
Culturalization includes everything that defines a culture – spanning from
history (perception of historical figures and events) and religion to beliefs,
geography and interpersonal relationships, often stepping into the slippery
realm of politics. Knowing that, a serious research on these elements for every
market of interest should be obligatory.
Professor Jeong Ji Young (2015) defines the culturalization as “the
process by which a specific community transforms its economic activities
20
and empowers its members by developing products and services based on its
particular cultural and geographical environment.”
Kate Edwars (2011) identified that “Culturalization is how you adapt
content for other cultures and other geographies beyond just normal
localization. Culturalization looks beyond the language component at every
other aspect of the content that can be potentially sensitive to a particular
market.”
Oxford Univiversity Press 2017 defined culturalization as "the process of
adapting to one's cultural environment; the acquisition of values and behavior
compatible with the society of which one is a ember. Also: adaptation to or
imposition of the culture of another nation or people".
Culturalization implies a process of becoming cultural and thus an act of
cultural production. The term includes but also exceeds cultural production as
the essential activity of a creative and cultural sector. Indeed, it has been used
to highlight the difficulties in maintaining an epistemologically distinct sector
of “cultural production”. This issue in part motivates the inquiry into
“Culturalization” set out by Fornas et al (2007) in which they used the term to
describe “a growing number of widespread beliefs that culture is expanding in
scope and significance in the present era of information, experience, media,
aesthetics and virtuality.” Knowledge concerning cultural production must
now be found in different spheres of activity, and “Culturalization” is used to
denote this condition of “more culture”, similar to the “cultural” economy
approach of Lash and Urry (1994) above. However, Culturalization can be
pushed a step further from these epistemological questions. The forms of
simulation, media and virtuality that Fornas et al (2007) describe, not only

21
imply a requirement to examine culture and its production in different
spheres. These changes also demand a different approach to culture, one in
which the ontological distinction between “culture” and “cultural production”
is difficult to maintain. If Culturalization implies a contemporary condition of
becoming cultural, cultural inquiry can no longer operate according to a logic
of identification that focuses on a defined or stable entity - such as high
culture or a whole way of life - to address a quantitative change or
transformation. Instead, Culturalization draws attention to how culture
operates, opening an inquiry underpinned by a logic of processes to address
qualitative change (Lury et al, 2012).

<Table 4> Summary on Definitions of Culturalization

Contributor Year Contributions

s

Lash and 1994 Described culturalization arises from the diffusion of

Urry “culture” into all sectors of economic activity.

Eijck and 2004 Described culturalization as a type of social change

Bargeman where culture is given a specific new role.

Fornas et al 2007 Examined culture and its production in different

spheres of culturalization

Kate 2011 Described culturalization as a content of human’s

Edwars adaption for other cultures and other geographies
beyond just normal localization

Lury et al 2012 Described culturalization draws attention to how

culture operates, opening an inquiry underpinned by

22
 a logic of processes.

Jeong Ji 2015 Defined culturalization as the process by which a

Young specific community transforms its economic
activities and empowers.

Oxford 2017 Identified culturalization as "the process of adapting

Univiversity to one's cultural environment; the acquisition of
Press values and behavior compatible.

From the same premises as Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, Koen van Eijck
and Bertine Bargeman. stipulate that social changes occurs when the
population in general has been materially elevated. They assert that this
elevation of material goods leaves room for cultural change. In other words, if
material conditions have diminished effects on lifestyle, culture becomes
increasingly important. There is more cultural resources, such as information
available now in society. And information currently plays a role in both
occupational and leisure life. This type of social change where culture is given
a specific new role is described by van Eijck and Bargeman as
‘culturalization’ (van Eijck and Bargeman 2004).
Culturalization makes explicit the implicit understanding of culture in
much cultural economy scholarship. This is an understanding of culture as the
operationalisation of the real: the continuous processes providing the reality
of a given situation even as it is part of ongoing problems of definition. The
critical purchase of Culturalization, and therefore the cultural economy
approach, lies in a combination of the exposure of operations and the
identification of their reality effects. This understanding of culture as an
“operationalisation of the real” builds on but extends the “cultural turn” in the
23
humanities and social sciences, in which a cultural approach was primarily
equated with operations of discourse, meaning and its interpretation.

2.4.2 Cultural economy and Cultural Production

Cultural economy can be defined as a set of activities commercially

exploiting artistic, aesthetic, and semiotic creativity. Corroborating this
generic definition, Throsby (2004) considers cultural economy as a set of
industries producing cultural goods and services involving creativity,
embodying intellectual property, and conveying symbolic meaning. In
functional terms, such industries are organized on a concentric circles pattern
made of core activities at the centre (creative arts, like dance, music, visual
arts), intermediary activities (industries generating cultural outputs, but also
non-cultural outputs, like publishing, television, and radio), and peripheral
activities on the boundaries (‘catch industries’ that include culture in their
working process, like advertising, tourism, or architecture,). In other words, as
demonstrated by Lury and Terranova (2012), when introducing the concept of
‘artistic dividend’, artists can be considered as crucial sources of primary
energy that fuels cultural economy, meaning that artists play an important –
although underestimated – role in today's economic capitalist development
(see Markusen's paper in this issue). This also questions the role and status of
artists in society, since they no longer tend to be seen primarily as explorers of
new ways of expressing sensitivity, of new ways of thinking and living, and,
occasionally, as critical free thinkers, but rather as simple workers whose
creativity can nowadays be picked up by modern capitalism.
Cultural production has been examined by studying the implementation

24
of culture in government policy (Belfiore and Bennett 2007). The cultural
worker has also been an object of study (De Peuter 2014; McRobbie 2016).
The focus in these accounts has invariably been on the results of the policies
or on the conditions of the worker. Although there are notable exceptions
(Campbell et al 2017), one result of this is that both policy and worker are
taken in advance to be cultural, so that there is less examination of the actions
that make this production “cultural” in the first place. In short, the culture of
cultural production is taken for granted.
To become an active producer of culture entails the attempt to overcome
these shortcomings. When “doing” culture consciously, we try to think about
the contexts and conditions that govern our cultural activities and to reflect on
the effects these have. Producing culture actively, thus, entails to think about
the stance, the point of departure from which we act. It requires to think of the
values, collective norms and invisible rules that guide our behaviour and to
reflect on the social and cultural positioning of our activities. Finally, it
encompasses a claim to participate in the formulation of the norms and values
that govern society, to take part in its decision-making process about who or
what counts as important or unimportant, as good or bad and to change the
rules by which social and cultural relations are reinforced. Products of such
activities – works of art, cultural forms, etc. – irritate and challenge the way
we “normally” see and do things. Today a host of contemporary art
productions exist that aim to reflect on and interpret our cultural contexts and
the underpinnings of our daily routines.
Cultural production in this sense can be understood as an intervention in
the process of producing meaning. Since this process is one of constant

25
reshaping and redefinition, it has been called “the circle of meaning
production” within cultural studies.
Oxford University Press (2016) defined cultural production as “the social
processes involved in the generation and circulation of cultural forms,
practices, values, and shared understandings”.
Cultural production itself has tended to disappear as a target of
theoretical and empirical inquiry in cultural economy approaches. This is a
manifestation of the imbalanced application of the insights of the cultural
economy approach. A founding move of cultural economy as understood in
this journal has been to open the black box of economy through detailed
attention to the processes by which it is operationalised. Rather than a fixed
category, economy is understood as an ongoing process of economisation
involving the assembly and qualification of actions, devices and
analytical/practical descriptions as “economic” by social scientists and market
actors.
However, this foundational insight of cultural economy– a focus on
economy as verb not economy as noun - has been applied primarily to
economy rather than to culture (Entwistle and Slater 2014; Cooper and
McFall 2017). In part, this imbalance can be attributed to a deliberate attempt
to separate cultural economy as a theoretical approach from an empirical
focus on the cultural and creative industries.

2.5 Uzbek Culture

The culture of Uzbekistan is vibrant and unique — it was formed over

thousands of years incorporating the traditions and customs of the peoples

26
who at various times inhabited the territory of modern Uzbekistan. The
ancient Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese, Russians, and nomadic Turkic tribes
have all contributed to Uzbek culture, which is considered the epitome of
Central Asian, crossroads cultures. The traditions reflecting the multinational
nature of Uzbekistan are omnipresent in its music, dance, painting, applied
arts, language, cuisine, and clothing. Each region of Uzbekistan has its own
unique shades as well, which are most clearly manifested in national dress and
local dialects.
Emergence of the Nation. The Uzbeks coalesced by the fourteenth
century in southern Siberia, starting as a loose coalition of Turkic-Mongol
nomad tribes who converted to Islam. In the first half of the fifteenth century
Abu al-Khayr Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan, led them south, first to
the steppe and semidesert north of the Syr-Daria River. At this time a large
segment of Uzbeks split off and headed east to become the Kazakhs. In 1468
Abu'l Khayr was killed by a competing faction, but by 1500 the Uzbeks had
regrouped under Muhammad Shaybani Khan, and invaded the fertile land of
modern Uzbekistan. They expelled Amir Timur's heirs from Samarkand and
Herat and took over the city-states of Khiva, Khojand, and Bokhara, which
would become the Uzbek capital. The Uzbeks traded their nomadism for
urban living and agriculture.
Cultural Heritage, the territory od present-day Uzbekistan has been the
locus of ancient civilizations dating back before 1 000 BC. The great trading
cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva grew up at the crossroads of the
great caravan routes linking the area with Turkey, the Caucasus, western
Chin,. Iran, Afghanistan and India in one large cultural and economic zone.

27
This free movement of peoples and ideas in the region produced some of the
world's most outstanding cultural and scientific personalities as well as
renowned tombs, mosques and madrassas which rank among the glories of
Islam.
National crafts of Uzbekistan deserve a separate story: silk fabrics and
carpets, bright ceramics and oriental knives, wood carving and metal coinage,
lacquered miniatures and golden embroidery, famous suzanes and old styles
of embroidery ‘basma’ and ‘iroqi’, paper production according to an ancient
technology and construction of seismic-stable houses from clay.
Uzbek cuisine that at the behast of destiny turned out to be at the
crossroads of the culinary preferences of civilizations and absorbed the best of
centuries in itself. Talk about the sights of Uzbekistan is impossible without
touching gastronomic attractions.
CHAPTER III OVERVIEW OF UZBEKISTAN’S ECONOMY

3.1 General Information Regarding Uzbekistan

<Table 5> General information about Uzbekistan (2019)

Official Name Republic of Uzbekistan

Independence 1 September 1991
Capital Tashkent
Total Area 448.9 sq. km. (56th in the world)
Almost 130 ethnic groups (80.0% Uzbek, 5.5%
Nationality Russian, 5.0%-5.5% Tajik, 3.0% Kazakh, 2.5%
Karakalpak, 2.5% others and around 0,8% Koreans)
Double land-locked country (one of only two such
Access to sea
countries worldwide, second one is Lichtenstein)
Population, persons 32 981 716 (42nd in the world)

28
 GDP, billion current US $: 60.5 (79th in the world)
GDP per capita US $: 1 725 (149 in the world)

Ease of doing
76
business rank

Source: National Statistics Office (2020)

Uzbekistan spans 449,000 km² and was home to 32,981,716 inhabitants

in 2019. It boasts the most clearly defined and prestigious tourism image of
the entire region since four of its cities are included on the UNESCO World
Heritage list (Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Shakhrisabz), all of which lie
on the ancient Silk Road route. Uzbekistan is situated in the central part of
Central Asia. Uzbekistan borders on Kazakhstan in the
North, Turkmenistan – in the Southwest, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – in the
East, Afghanistan – in the South. The general length of the borders is about
5300 kilometers. Uzbekistan takes vast territories – from the Ustyurt Plateau
in the West to the Tian Shan and the Pamir Mountains in the East. Uzbekistan
is a doubly landlocked country in which 51% of the population lives in urban
settlements; in which Uzbekistan’s eastern borders are situated, has been
counted among the most densely populated parts of Central Asia.

3.2 Main Macroeconomic Indicators

<Table 6> Overview of Uzbekistan’ Economy

GDP - agriculture: 24.3%

composition, (2019) inflation 15.6% (2019)
by sector of industry: 38% rate 14.2% (2018)
origin (2019) Current $1.965 billion (2019)
services: 37.8% account $1.713 million (2018)
(2019) balance country comparison to the
29
 world: 43
textiles, food
17.9 million (2018)
processing, machine Labor
Industries country comparison to the
building, metallurgy, force:
world: 32
mining, chemicals
cotton, vegetables, $12.15 billion (2018)
Agriculture –
fruits, grain; Exports $11.48 billion (2018)
products
livestock world: 86

Exports – energy products, cotton,

agriculture: 25.9% commodit gold, mineral fertilizers,
Labor force -
industry: 13.2% ies textiles, foodstuffs
by
services: 60.9%
occupation
(2019) $13.36 billion (2019)
Imports
world: 95
Source: National Statistics Office (2020)

The COVID-19 crisis in Uzbekistan has almost entirely extinguished

GDP growth in 2020. and increased poverty levels for the first time in over
two decades. Persistent COVID-19 disruptions have also tempered prospects
for a quick recovery in 2021. Despite these challenges. Uzbekistan’s outlook
remains positive as reforms continue to shift the economy towards greater
resource efficiency and private sector growth.

<Figure 4> GDP Growth of Uzbekistan. 2010-2019 (billion US dollars)

80
67.07
70 63.1 66.5 57.4 60.5
57.7
60 51.8
45.9 48.8
50
38.9
40
30
20
10
0
2010. 2011. 2012. 2013. 2014. 2015. 2016. 2017. 2018. 2019.

Source: The State Committee of The Republic of Uzbekistan (2020)

30
 Following an economic deceleration in 2019, real GDP growth slowed
further as investment growth eased in the first half of 2019. However, despite
a projected external weakening. Uzbekistan’s medium-term outlook remains
favorable on account of the Government’s ambitious reform initiative.
GDP growth in the first half of 2020 was nearly zero, compared with
growth of 5.8 percent in the first half of 2019. Higher gold production and
favorable agricultural conditions helped offset a sharp fall in industry and
services activity. A cumulative increase of about 17 percent in social payments
and a 10 percent increase in minimum wages since February have helped
preserve private consumption despite a 19 percent decline in remittances.

<Figure 5> GDP Composition 2019(billion US dollars)

Service Industry
37% 39%

Agriculture
24%
Source: National Statistics Office (2020)

Compared with the corresponding period last year, the share of

agriculture, forestry and fisheries in the sectoral structure of GDP (GVA)
decreased from 27.3% to 24.3%, while the share of industry increased from
36.1% to 40.3%. The share of the services sector in the sectoral structure of
GDP (GVA) was 37.8% and, as compared with the same period last year,
decreased by 0.5 percentage points7.
7
The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2020)
31
Figure 6> Employment Structure by Sector (2018)

Source: World Bank staff calculations based on the official data (2019)

Uzbekistan's labor force was 18.8 million in 2018. consisting of an

economically-active population of 14.6 million and an economically-inactive
population of 4.2 million. A total of 13.2 million people was employed. of
which 5.3 million held jobs in the formal sector and 7.9 million (or 59.3
percent of total employment) were employed informally.

3.3 Trade Metrics

The foreign trade turnover of Uzbekistan has reached $42.2 billion in

2019, which is an $8.7 billion (26.2%) increase over the previous year. This
includes $17.9 billion export (28% growth compared to 2018) and $24.3
billion import (25% growth compared to 2018), which resulted in $6.4 billion
(55% growth compared to 2018) negative balance.
With the onset of the COVID19 pandemic in early 2020, Uzbekistan’s
trade turnover with its main trading partners began to decline steadily. For
instance, for the first time since 2016 China has ceased to be Uzbekistan’s
main trading partner. Trade with China began to decline as early as January
2020, but at that time, the country kept first place thanks to imports. However,
at the end of March the leadership passed to Russia. Uzbekistan’s total foreign

32
trade in the first quarter of 2020 was $8.14 billion.
The ranking of Uzbekistan’s major trade partners remained unchanged in
2019 and included China ($7.6 billion or 18.1%), Russia ($6.6 billion or
15.7%), Kazakhstan ($3.3 billion or 8%), South Korea ($2.7 billion or 6.5%),
Turkey ($2.5 billion or 6%) Germany ($980 million or 2.3%), Kyrgyzstan
($829 million or 2%), Afghanistan ($618 million or 1.5%) and the USA ($596
million or 1.4%). A positive foreign trade balance was achieved with
Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iran and France8.

<Figure 7> Export Structure of Uzbekistan (1992-2018)

120
Services

100 1.8 Other (e.g.

8.8 7.3 gold, textiles)
9 6.8
1.6 Energy (e.g.
80 8 9 gas)
7
65 Food
7 20.2
60
Machinery &
equipment
40 38 29.4
Metals (e.g.
6
copper)
6
20 2
2
4 14 Chemicals
24.1
13
8 Cotton fiber
0 2
1992 2012 2018

Source: Uzbekistan authorities; World Bank staff calculations (2019)

Major shares in the export belong to gold (28.5% ), services (19.9%),

energy carriers (14.1%), textile products (9.1%), food and agriculture
8
World Bank, World Development Indicator (2020)
33
products (8.5%), non-ferrous metals (5.3%), chemical products (4.9%) and
ferrous metals (2%). The import consisted mainly of mechanical equipment
(23.1%), transport and spare parts (10.8%), services (10%), ferrous metals
(9.1%), electric equipment (5.5%), food products (5.2%), energy carriers
(3.8%).
At the same time imports of services amounted to $2.4 billion, or 10% of
the total import. The main share in the import of services: tourism (68.2%),
transport services (17.4%), IT and communications (3%), construction
services (1.1%), financial services (0.8%), and others (7.1%).. According to
the World Bank ranking, which includes 163 countries, Uzbekistan is on 99th
position in terms of logistics, and 120th on ease of international transport.

<Figure 8> Export Partners of Uzbekistan (2019)

Russia
China
14% Kazakhstan
12% Turkey
49% Kyrgyzstan
8% Afghanistan
8% Iran
1%
1%4%
3%
Tajikistan
Others

Source: The State Committee of The Republic of Uzbekistan (2020)

Among countries, the main export partners are China, Russia, Turkey and
Kazakhstan, among other countries – Bangladesh and Kyrgstan. Currently,
almost 2000 types of goods and services are exported to more than 168
countries (including countries in Europe, CIS, Asia, North and South
America, Africa and Australia).
34
 Uzbekistan’s economic freedom score is 57.2, making its economy the
114th freest in the 2020 Index. Its overall score has increased by 3.9 points
due to higher scores for investment freedom, financial freedom, and property
rights. Uzbekistan is ranked 26th among 42 countries in the Asia–Pacific
region, and its overall score is well below the regional and world averages.
The government’s new reform road map includes policy goals to maintain
macroeconomic stability and accelerate the transition of the economy from a
state-led economy to one in which the market plays an increasingly important
role.
In general, the development of international economic relations
contributes to the sustainable economic growth of exports and imports in the
country's foreign trade and, ultimately, the development of our republic and
the welfare of the people. Development of foreign trade relations of
Uzbekistan is carried out on the basis of the real needs of the national
economy in the process of market reforms. At the same time, it is aimed at
the integration of Uzbekistan into the world economy, taking a worthy place
in a number of developed countries.

35
 CHAPTER IV CULTURAL TOURISM IN UZBEKISTAN

4.1 Current Situation of Tourism Industry

4.1.1 Structure and characteristics of Tourism Industry

Tourism is an industry growing in accordance with globalization and

among the fastest together with automotive, petroleum and chemicals
industries. On the other hand, because of positive effects of tourism such as
supporting balance of payments by creating foreign currency inflow, creating
employment, and supporting foreign trade, infrastructure and superstructure
but also developed countries, developments and changes in the world,
Uzbekistan is trying to determine its economical choices and priorities
through macro economical plans in order to meet its limitless needs with her
limited resources.

<Figure 9> Travel and Tourism Total Contribution to GDP of Uzbekistan

(in percentage, 2011-2018 )
4
3 3.4
3.2 2.9 2.8 2.9 3.2
2 3 2.8
1
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

36
Source: World Bank staff calculations based on the official data, 2019

In 2018, contribution of travel and tourism to GDP (% of GDP) for

Uzbekistan was 3.4 %. Though Uzbekistan contribution of travel and tourism
to GDP (% of GDP) fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to
decrease through 1999 - 2018 period ending at 3.4 % in 2018.

<Figure 10> The Volume of export of services (2019)

2%
5%3% transport services

tourism

50% IT and communications

40%
construction services

financial services

Source: The State Committee of The Republic of Uzbekistan

In 2019, the volume of export of services amounted to $3.56 billion, or

19.9% of the total export. The structure of exported services was as follows:
transport services (49.6%), tourism (39.7%), IT and communications (4.6%),
construction services (1.4%), financial services (0.8%).

<Figure 11> The amount of coming visitors (million people)

8000
6000 6748
4000 5300
2000 2690
0
2017 2018 2019

Source: The State Committee of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development (2020)

37
 The amount of foreign tourists coming to Uzbekistan grows annually at a
fast pace. So, in 2018, 5300 thousand foreign tourists entered the Republic of
Uzbekistan. His indicator is 48% more in comparison with 2017, when the
amount of visitors made up 2027 thousand people. In its turn, during 2019
the quantity of foreign visitors made up 6748 thousand people and exceeded
the indicators of the analogical period of 2019.
Uzbekistan is one of the top ten countries in the world in terms of
tourism and historical monuments. Great Britain's world-renowned Financial
Times newspaper specializing in finance and business, with over 7,000
unique tourism monuments and architectural sites worth more than 7,000 US
dollars 2018 has announced the list of the most interesting destinations 9.
According to the State Committee for Tourism Development, 5.7 million
of the visitors came from other Central Asian countries, around 496,000 from
other CIS states and 488,000 from far-off countries. Top of the list were
citizens from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Russia,
Turkey, Afghanistan, China, South Korea and India.

<Figure 12> The spread of the touristic flow monthly, (thousand people)

9
Khamidov, O. (2017)
38
 800
692.3 658.3
700 613.8 633.9
613.5 597.7
600 549.4 544.4
496.7 517.6
473.2 584.4
500 506.1
393.5 504.3476.1
400 448.3 441.5472.9 503.3
450.2
434.9
300
261.2
200 269.2
100
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2018 2019

Source: The State Committee of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development (2020)

The greatest part of the foreign visits can be viewed in August, and the
least one – in February. In general, the main portion of the touristic flow is
approximately equally spread in March-December, when the amount of
visitors exceeded 400 thousand people a month. The low flow can be seen in
January-February.

<Figure 13> Accomodation facilities in Uzbekistan

Source: The State Committee of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development (2019)

During traveling in the Republic of Uzbekistan the major part of the

respondents have chosen living with family and friends (43.6%). Also in a

39
good demand among the tourists are two-, three-star and four-, five-star
hotels (18.0% and 17.3%, accordingly).
According to statistic data, the goal of coming to Uzbekistan for the
main part of guests is visiting their acquaintances and relatives. This part
made up 88.1% of total amount of visitors. The second major segment made
up 8.6% - those coming to Uzbekistan for vacations, leisure-time and rest
(traveling). he next in the list is the visitors’ group (1.1%), coming to
Uzbekistan with business and professional goals.
Uzbekistan has great potential in tourism area, has great opportunities
because of the number and variety of tourism resources, compared to other
countries: including convenient node location in the transport- geographic
area, unique geography and natural attractions, there are 37 caves on the
territory of the Republic. Bioclimatic conditions allow tourists to be engaged
actively in wellness and sports tourism, especially in winter. Historical and
cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, which reflects long history of the region,
associated primarily with the history of the Great Silk Road (Fergana
ValleyTashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Urgench-Khiva) is one of the main
factors of the country attractiveness. There is main facts and reasons to
present potential of Uzbekistan tourism sector and a positive economic and
social impact.
The publication of articles about Uzbekistan in foreign mass media of 40
countries was provided, information tours were organized for representatives
of about 50 foreign media from more than 20 countries. Only the story of the
Chinese TV channel CCTV-7 about gastronomic tourism in the Republic of
Uzbekistan was watched by about 150 million people (2018).

40
 Uzbekistan entered the ranking of the best places to travel in Asia
according to Lonely Planet (2018). Uzbekistan ranks the second after South
Korea. It should be noted that Uzbekistan is ahead of such traditional and
popular countries as Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China and
Indonesia in the Lonely Planet ranking.
Uzbekistan is among the top five countries in the CIS in the ranking of
popular countries on gastronomic tourism (2018) and at the fifth place
Gallup's list, tied with Hong Kong (2018) in the ranking of safe countries.
The issuance of e-visas for foreign tourists is simplified and
implemented. 22 requirements for the organization of hostels were canceled,
the possibility of accommodating foreign tourists in private apartments was
also created, and a simplified procedure for organizing family guest houses
with the abolition of certification requirements was approved.
The terms of consideration of documents on licensing were reduced from
15 working days to 10 working days, as a result of which, for 8 months of
2018, 183 new tour operators started their activity, for comparison, by 2017,
only 128 tour operators were functioning.
Uzbekistan has huge tourism and recreational potential, with a total of
7,400 sites of cultural heritage, of which 209 are four museums – the Ichan
Kala in Khiva, the historic center of Bukhara, the historic center of
Shakhrisabz, Samarkand City and is included in the UNESCO world heritage
list.
Uzbekistan is has been hugely expanding its transport infrastructure to
further its aim of becoming a transport and logistics hub for Central Asia.
Until recently, freight trains from the coal-rich Angren Basin had to cross two

41
national borders to get to customers in the eastern Fergana Valley. That
changed with the completion of the Angren-Pop railway, a 169 kilometre-long
direct section over the challenging mountain pass. This new section includes
two kilometres of bridges and the Kamchiq Tunnel which, at over 19 km, is
the longest tunnel in Central Asia. The US $2 billion railway project was
funded by the Uzbekistan government and international funding, with the
tunnel constructed by China Railway Tunnel Group. This has hugely boosted
the economy and made travelling between the Fergana Valley and the rest of
the country faster, cheaper and safer all year round. Previously, the harsh
winters had made this difficult.
Uzbekistan is a potential holiday destination which stands out from most
of the countries in central Asia. It’s become so popular for what history has
left behind it, and most people are intrigued by the ancient Silk Road or even
explore three of the routes important cities such as Bukhara, Khiva and
Samarkand which were the top trading places. Today, these three cities are the
most visited places in the country for their minarets, hypnotic mosaics and
voluptuous domes. The country altogether is home to many architectures and
ancient cities infused by the history of Silk Road.

4.1.2 Types of Tourism

Uzbekistan tradition is very rich. Uzbek people are truly welcoming by
nature. This comes from the traditions of Uzbek families where elders were
respected and it has been followed for generations. They generally have a
large families living together. Inviting and welcoming guests is an inherent
part of Uzbek culture. In Uzbek traditions art and craft also passed from
generation to generation. Uzbek craftsmen created unique design on several
42
products like home utensils, special utensils, home decoration and fabrics.
Thus rich culture of Uzbekistan is a profound mix of people with great values
and their ability to create unique piece of arts10.
1) Historical tourism in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is rich in its historical tourism and Samarkand is one of its
pearls and of the East as well. There are great interesting and fascinating
monuments of architecture and culture in this region. Samarkand with its
Registan, Gur-Emir and Shah-i-Zinda, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Ark citadel
Samanid Mausoleum, Bukhara with its Po-i-Kalyan Complex and Lyabi
Khauz Ensemble along with its mosques, minarets, madrasahs walls and gates
are sites of tourism.
2) Sports and Adventure Tourism in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is full of opportunities for adventure tourism with exciting walking
trips and risk climbing. As the country is full of steppes and deserts, it’s an ideal place
for jeep safari where you can camp by the desert and everyday ride through many
kilometres of rock and sand. There’s also skiing activities in the foothills of Chimgan
Mountains during the winter time.

3) Health and Wellness Tourism in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has a pleasant climate with an abundance of fresh air, warmth, nature
etc. All these factors make the country favourable suitable for someone who is
looking to heal and improve their health and spirituality. With so many reservoirs,
they become the healing property along with modern technology, the spa and wellness
facilities are available in much health-improving resort with wonderful surrounding
and in close proximity to nature.

4) Gastronomic Tourism in Uzbekistan

It’s a popular belief in Uzbekistan, to know the customs and culture of the
10
Rakhmonov, S. (2017)
43
people; you need to try their national dishes. Uzbekistan’s food and the cuisine reflect
the diversity and traditions of the country as it has old- centuries recipes. Tea is
always served to guest in every house and the way of making food is different from
restaurants and shops. The main dish of Uzbekistan is Pilav which is also part of any
festival.

5) Nightlife tourism in Uzbekistan

The country of Uzbekistan offers an extraordinary and elating nightlife. There
are a number of bars, restaurants, clubs, discos techs etc which you can have an
incredible time. In Bukhara, there's a different scene of nightlife with a couple of nice
wine shops found in ancient structure shops. Samarkand is another great city to
experience nightlife as it has some nice bistros and blue bars that stay open until
midnight.

6) Winter Tourism in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is an attractive place for mountain skiing. Just a few kilometres away
from Tashkent city, there are the mountain slopes of Chimghan where a blanket of
snow covers the area and meet the skiing standards for such activity. There are also
beautiful resorts around the area of Ugham and national Wild Park.

7) Hospitality Industry
In our time of expansion of international cultural ties and globalization, the issue
of the development of modern, comfortable hotels, ready to open wide the doors to
guests from other countries, was especially acute. It is important to create so-called
hotel chains, i.e. network hotels, which have their own special, recognizable image
and high-level service, as well as effective tourism agencies with highly qualified
staff.

The development of international tourism in the background of the

improvement of small business and private entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan
has led to the fact that in practice in the international tourist market of the

44
country, hotels of different levels of comfort are offered at different price
categories.

4.1.3 Logistics in the Tourism

Nowadays, Uzbekistan pursues a policy of stimulating the development
of tourism infrastructure and strengthening the position of the country in the
international tourism sector. There are 1176 tourism agencies, including 621
tour operators and 555 hotels, tourist bases and campsites in the country. An
extensive network of hotels numbering a total of over 25,000 beds meets
international standards. Since independence, 11 airports have received
international status in Uzbekistan through construction and reconstruction of
infrastructure facilities.
Transport services are essential for the economy of the Republic of
Uzbekistan, but also for the daily life of the population. An important factor in
the development of tourism in Uzbekistan is the condition of a sufficiently
developed transport infrastructure. Thus, the total length of the railway lines
(for 2018) is more than 6,020 km. There are 4,237.5 km of public roads, and
19.5% of the roads are electrified.

<Table 7> Uzbekistan Transportation Profile 2018

total: 4,304 km
Railways
broad gauge: 4,304 km 1.520-m gauge (1,354 km electrified)

total: 86,496 km
Roadways paved: 75,511 km
unpaved: 10,985 km
Waterways 1,100 km
45
 Pipelines gas 13,700 km; oil 944 km
Airports 35 (2016)
Source: Transportation system of the Republic Uzbekistan, 2019

The total length of highways is 42,530 kilometers. Annual cargoturnover

exceeds 1.2 billion tons, and passenger turnover is more than 120 billion
passenger-kilometers. National airlines have well developed networks of
airports, including ten international airports. The fleet currentlyconsists of 30
aircraft, including 18 Boeings, 12 Airbuses. Three additional Boeing787-800
Dreamlinersare expected to be delivered by 2020. Uzbekistan has a well-
developed network of railroads, with an average density of 150 km per 10,000
square kilometers. Annual passenger turnover is 4.3 billion
passengerkilometers, and cargo turnover exceeds 22 billion tons.11
Uzbekistan Airways is one of the largest national airlines in Central Asia.
Established in 1992, it carries passengers and cargo to more than 30 countries
all over the world.
There are 3400 km (2,113 miles) of Uzbekistan railways linking Termez,
Samarkand, Bukhara, the Fergana Valley and Nukus. There are two train
stations in Tashkent - North and South.
Tashkent metro, the first in Central Asia, currently has three lines:
Uzbekistan (11 stations), Chilonzor (12 stations) and Yunusabad (6 stations).
Creating a logistics system in Uzbekistan using its advantageous
geographical position will allow Uzbekistan to create a favorable investment
climate, increase the region's economic growth and to improve tourism
industry. Uzbekistan needs to develop a regional transport - logistics, the
11
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade
Administration(2018)
46
formation and functioning mechanisms of logistical systems, supply chains
and, the creation of modern information.

4.2 Performance of Cultural Tourism

There are undoubted competitive advantages of the national tourist

product of Uzbekistan, which has a significant number of cultural,
archaeological, architectural and natural sites, including those associated with
the Great Silk Road, which has attracted major flows of foreign tourists into
the country. The unique cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, its various forms of
art and traditional crafts, the mentality of the people, its folklore, gastronomy
and other factors all distinguish the country from its nearest neighbors. The
country is becoming increasingly competitive in the international tourist
market.
To estimate the contribution of the cultural tourism to the
economic development, first it is important to define the boundaries of the
tourism. Identification of culture areas is based on a hierarchical model
consisting of basic and related cultural tourism.
Uzbekistan has huge tourism and recreational potential, with a total of
7,400 sites of cultural heritage, of which 209 are four museums – the Ichan

47
Kala in Khiva, the historic center of Bukhara, the historic center of
Shakhrisabz, Samarkand City and is included in the UNESCO world heritage
list. Every year the number of foreigners visiting the Republic of Uzbekistan
is increasing. In the last 15 years, foreign citizens’ visits to Uzbekistan
have risen to 15.5 times, from 442,1 thousand in 2002 to 5346,2
thousand in 2018. The number of foreigners visiting Uzbekistan in 2018 was
8594,800, which is 6 .5 times more than in 2002. According to the Statistical
Internet Survey (Jamayev A, 2020), carried out in May 7 - August 27, 2018,
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 source which Uzbekistan is
providing to visitors since its independence.
The key factors for the tourism in the next decade are the availability of
improved infrastructure, targeted marketing and promotion efforts, the
liberalization of air transport, the growth of online travel portals. Since July
15, 2018, everyone can enter the territory of Uzbekistan by e-visa, which will
allow to stay in the country for up to 30 days. It is valid for 90 days from the
date of issue.
. Uzbekistan is ranked ninth in the world by number of historical and
architectural monuments. The above gives reason to conclude that Uzbekistan
has great potential for development of the tourism12.
The Resolution of the President establishes a visa-free procedure for
entry, temporary stay and exit from the Republic of Uzbekistan through
checkpoints for citizens of 101 states traveling in transit through the country’s
12
Musaev, H. (2018) “Tourism in Uzbekistan: opportunities and new challenges”
48
territory for a period of not more than five days if they have a ticket to a third
country carrier.
Moreover, in the fall of 2018, Uzbekistan authorities plan to introduce
visa exemptions for certain categories of foreign guests. This will affect, in
particular, those who go to the countries of the Silk Road; those born in
Uzbekistan and their families; as well as major investors.
The Republic of Uzbekistan has created excellent conditions for
recreation and development of various types of tourism, for example, cultural,
educational, natural, ecological, sports, water, rural.
Known in the world as an “eternal city,” Samarkand is recognized as one
of 50 cities on the planet, which must be visited at least once in a lifetime
(2018) . Other than the traditions of the ancient East and natural resources, the
geopolitical location of Uzbekistan in Eurasia should be considered as a driver
in attracting international tourists13.

<Table 8> The share of the "Culture and heritage" sector in Uzbekistan's
GDP (2015-2017).
2015 2016 2017
GDP, (billion US dollars) 66.5 67.07 48.8
Expenses for Cultural sector in 0.35 0.33 0.33
% of GDP
Spending on cultural sector in 0.70 0.50 0.56
% of GDP
The share of Cultural sector in 0.34 0.43 0.40
% of GDP
Source: The State Budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Ancient cities of Uzbekistan - Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, included

13
Myrzabekov, M. (2017)
49
in the UNESCO World Heritage List delight tourists with historical
architectural monuments that inhaled spirit of the Great Silk Road caravans.

<Table 9> UNESCO World Heritage Sites In Uzbekistan

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in

Year of Inscription
Uzbekistan

Itchan Kala 1990

Historic Center of Bukhara 1993
Historic Center of Shakhrisyabz 2000
Samarkand 2001
Western Tien-Shan Mountains 2016

Source: Myrzabekov, M. (2017), Сontemporary cultural and humanitarian

cooperation between the countries of Central Asia.

Uzbekistan was an important trade centre on the ancient Silk Route. The
region grew to prominence under different dynasties and civilisations.
Uzbekistan has medieval monuments strewn all over the country that attests to
its medieval significance. Cultural tourism is the primary tourism in
Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is home to one natural and four cultural World
Heritage Sites, one of which is endangered14. These heritage sites include:
Itchan Kala was the first World Heritage Site inscribed in 1990. Itchan

14
Inoyatova S. (2020)
50
Kala is a walled city in Khiva and is the largest surviving wall city in the
Central part of Asia. The City was traditionally known as Khorezm and was
an important stop on the Silk Road. Its significance made it subject to
different occupations. It was under the Timurid Empire that many of Khiva’s
cities rose to prosperity. The city’s rulers, the Khans of Khiva, built the wall to
keep off colonial threats. Itchan Kala was preserved by Russian colonial
rulerd and is a cultural heritage. The city and the wall have been preserved as
the State Historical Archaeological Museum. There are nearly 60 historic
buildings preserved in the city including palaces, mosques, minarets and
pillars.
Bukhara is a city museum in Uzbekistan and was inscribed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The city can be traced back to as early
as the 6th century BC, rising to prominence to become a major trade and
cultural centre on the Silk Road. The city was a Muslim centre, and there are
numerous mosques and madrassas in the city that attest to its religious
significance. There are nearly 150 historical monuments preserved in the city
in a modern day Uzbekistan.
The Historic Center of Shakhrisyabz was listed by UNESCO as World
Heritage Site in 2000. The monuments in the city were built during the
Timurid Empire. The town was the birthplace of Amir Timur, who was a great
leader of the Timurid Empire. He built the town in grandeur and elegant
architecture and made it the second capital of his extensive empire. The town
is home to the renowned Ak-Saray Palace, which was built as a massive and
stylish complex of public and residential buildings.
Samarkand has been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site since

51
2001. It thrived as an ancient city, and it is still important in modern
Uzbekistan. The city was established in the 7th century and prospered under
the Timurid dynasty. Samarkand was at the forefront of Islamic architecture,
and its significance is witnessed in the old town. There are numerous
mosques, madrassas and residential houses, lined on narrow streets and built
in medieval Islamic fashion.
The newest addition to the list, the Western Tien-Shan Mountains was
inscribed as a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. The Tien-Shan
ranges extend to different countries in Central Asia. The mountain range in
Uzbekistan covers a total of 96,000 km2, nearly 21% of the nation’s territory.
Around the mountains are numerous resorts, which offer tourist services such
as skiing, rock climbing, sky surfing and sightseeing.
In Uzbekistan, authorities instituted strong health and social distancing
measures in March to contain local transmission of COVID-19, with national
and international flights being cancelled. This has resulted in more than 1,500
tour operators and 1,200 hotels suspending their activities and affected the
income of more than 250,000 people, including guides, artisans, and
professionals working at architectural monuments and transport facilities.
However, leaders and policy makers must also find opportunities in these
moments to make investments and reforms that can drive sustainable
development. For cultural heritage, both tangible (e.g., sites and structures)
and intangible (e.g, traditions and practices), this experience may provide an
opportunity to strengthen protection and resilience.
Cultural industries in Uzbekistan are closely linked to the development of
urban culture, city activism, social entrepreneurship, contemporary art and

52
cultural education. Young creative entrepreneurs are the most active and not
indifferent citizens, but rather the leaders of a new urban generation.
Nevertheless, Uzbekistan's rich and varied tourism and recreational
potential remains low, the existing tourism infrastructure, the volume, types
and quality of tourism services provided, and the distribution of available
tourism capacities by region, the network management system globally.

4.3 SWOT Analysis of Cultural Tourism

The SWOT analysis is a really important tool to outline the current

situation of Cultural tourism in Uzbekistan. By stating the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats, countries can better forecast their
prospective situation in a specific field of study.

<Table 10> SWOT Analysis of Cultural Tourism in Uzbekistan

Strengths Weaknesses
- Strength of Cultural Resources.. - Pollution.
- Young labor to direct to tourism - Limited financial resources
- Restaurants (International and - Celebrity resource levels are low.
Uzbek cuisine) - National parks. - Lack of qualified employee
- Increasing potential in English - Landlocked
speaking workforce. - Infrastructure
– Uzbek Hospitality. - Shadow economy
Opportunities Threats
- Easier and cheaper travelling - Political and economical
- Business Opportunities instability
-„Bridge“ between Europe and Asia -Increasing competition.
- Support of tourism policies. -Recession on global economies.

53
 - Damaging the natural structure.

In order to achieve sustainable development. Uzbekistan must pursue

quality tourism. but it is not ‘business as usual’. The tourism industry has
changed. Customers are in control and they are leading the radical
transformation of the industry. At the same time technology is facilitating the
changes taking place in the industry that technology be a key pillar to achieve
the industry’s objectives.
1) Strengths
Strength of Cultural Resources, profound historical background,
distinctive Uzbek culture, and abundant educational resources are important
potentials for cultural tourism. The culture of Uzbekistan is vibrant and
unique that was formed over thousands of years, incorporating
the traditions and customs of the peoples who at various times inhabited the
territory of modern Uzbekistan. The ancient Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Chinese,
Russians, and nomadic Turkic tribes have all contributed to Uzbek culture,
which is considered the epitome of Central Asian, crossroads cultures.
Restaurants (International and uzbek cuisine) - National parks. The
Uzbek cuisine is probably one of the most diverse in Asia. Situated on the
caravan routes of the Great Silk Road. Uzbekistan has for many centuries
been assimilating the most interesting and original recipes of food from
various countries.
Young labor to direct to tourism. Labor force, total in Uzbekistan was
reported at 15766496 in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of
development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.
Increasing potential in English speaking workforce. The number of

54
English speaking workforce has started to increase as a result of the
development of tourism education in Uzbekistan. Hospitality education was
started to be taken into consideration since the late 90’s in Uzbekistan.
2) Weaknesses
Pollution. The evaporation of the Aral Sea is one of the worst ecological
disasters in the world. The Aral has shrunk so much that it now holds only
about one-fifth the volume of water it held in 1960.
Celebrity resource levels are low. Compared with some well-known
cities in World, Uzbekistan also lacks world-class cultural resources such as
celebrities’ former residences and sites, making Uzbekistan cultural tourism
resources slightly inferior.
Lack of qualified employee. Besides high young population rate in
Turkey, qualified employee rates are not high as well. Because of educating
and directing young populations to tourism is crucial.
Landlocked. Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country. It is one of
two doubly landlocked countries in the world (that is, a country completely
surrounded by landlocked countries), the other being Liechtenstein.
Shadow economy. Possibility of illegal activities in economy can be a
subfactor of weaknesses as shadow economy.
3) Opportunities
Easier and cheaper travelling. Competition between travelling agencies
and the decrease of the travel costs can increase the tourism rate.
Business Opportunities. new forms of business such as cultural and
tourism towns and beautiful villages, tourism and health-care, theme parks,
and cultural and tourism complex products returning to healthy life, returning
to experience interaction, returning to cultural creativity, and other industries
55
also usher in new opportunities for cultural tourism development in
Uzbekistan.
Bridge“ between Europe and Asia. The Central Asia countries –
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Turkmenistan –
have been opening to the world in recent years.

4) Threats
Political and economical instability. Political and economic instability all
over the world is a problem for tourism sector, such as terror (as a political
instability), and financial crisis (as an economic instability). They are the
negative effects for the sector globally.
Increasing competition. Uzbekistan must take some precautionary steps
due to the increasing competition among its rivals.
Recession on global economies. People are having a tendency to travel
less, because of the recession on global economies.
Damaging the natural structure. Damaging the natural structure for
commercial reasons can be the major problem of the natural environment.
Accordingly, after different SWOT analysis were finished concerning the
tourism regions / areas in Uzbekistan, there were detected along the time
some aspects which may have negative implications naming:
a) Repeated confusions between the Strong points and Opportunities or
between the Weak points and Threats;
b) In all the SWOT analysis, there are present two elements (both in the
“weak points” and “threats”) namely the “money” and “infrastructure”.
From SWOT Analysis of Cultural Tourism, Uzbekistan can take

56
necessary measures to benefit from its enormous historical, archeological,
natural, cultural and social advantages to win more tourists, thus gaining a
higher share in the world tourist revenues in the future.

4.4 Problems facing Tourism Industry

Problems with the tourism industry of Uzbekistan are dependent on

various factors such as the lack of supply chain, and logistics facilities,
underdeveloped infrastructure and low standard services to the tourists.
Moreover, the important problem constraining development of tourism in
Uzbekistan is insufficiently developed infrastructure in the country, low level
of training in this sphere, need of inviting of foreign investments for
elaboration of tourism in the country. The roads and other infrastructure,
including motels, rest-stops, geographic signs, and navigation systems, are
either in a poor condition or absent all together. (Khamidov, 2017).
<Table 11> Key Problems of the Tourism Sector

Importance
№ Issues and Constraints (from 1-10
points)
1. Difficulty of access and poor infrastructure 10
2. Weak marketing and insufficient use of digital 9
technologies
3. Poor quality of services and inadequate skills of providers 6
4. Short seasonality of tourist products 8
5. Bureaucratic barriers to start and to run a tourism business 6
6. Inequitable distribution of tourism receipts (low share of 8
57
 local communities) and environmental pollution

1) Difficulty of access and poor infrastructure

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country with an underdeveloped
infrastructure. The poor and underdeveloped infrastructure can be seen with
the naked eye, and is experienced by everyone who travels to the country. Air
transport is the dominant mode of transport for foreign tourists, and yet,
Uzbekistan suffers from poor air connectivity, with only four international air
carriers operating regular international flights to the country. These
infrastructural bottlenecks severely impair the productivity and revenues of
tourism firms by depressing demand for their products and services15.
2) Weak marketing and insufficient use of digital technologies
The lack of an effective, appealing branding and positioning of Uzbek
tourist products in international markets is hampering the growth of the
tourism sector since the country’s independence. The low level of
international awareness about Uzbekistan and government’s mediocre tourism
promotion efforts are seen by a majority stakeholders as a tangible constraint
to the development of the tourist sector in Uzbekistan.
3) Poor quality of services and inadequate skills of providers
This issue has been raised by many interviewed stakeholders, and is also
one of the leading complaints frequently posted by international tourists on
various websites. The limited choice and poor quality of tourist products (e.g.
accommodation, food and basic services) severely undermine the
competitiveness of the Uzbek tourist products in the global markets. First,
many guides in hard adventure, high-risk tourism do not have adequate

15
Khamidov, O. (2017)
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training, and do not adhere to basic safety rules, putting the lives of tourist at
risk. The lack of proper training and certification of guides in high-risk tourist
activities thus poses serious risks to the health and lives of tourists. To sum
up, the poor quality of services, inadequate training and poor skills of service
providers are taking an enormous toll on their bottom lines and the country’s
tourism exports.
4) Short seasonality of tourist products
The harsh continental climate and high altitude curtail the tourist season
in Uzbekistan. The season for the “sun, sea and sand” product lasts only three
months, the season for cultural and adventure tourism is only slighter longer,
straddling the late spring, summer and early autumn. Skiing and
snowboarding are the only winter tourist activities, and their supply is still
limited due to a lack of proper skiing bases, infrastructure and equipment.
5) Administrative barriers to start and to run a tourism business
Despite the overall favorable regulatory environment, administrative
barriers continue to hinder the start-up and conduct of tourism businesses.
First, land itself or land use rights are difficult to secure at popular tourist
sites. Second, once land is secured, numerous construction and utility permits
(electricity, water, sewage etc.) stifle in the cradle many tourist projects.
6) Inequitable distribution of tourism and environmental pollution
As shown by the value chain analysis, local communities appropriate
only a small share of the tourism proceeds. Community-based groups
supplying ecotourism services enjoy somewhat higher incomes. Typical
services that tour operators procure from local families and businesses are
limited to home stays, food, handicrafts, horse rentals and services of porters.

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Except for community-based tourism groups, local people at tourist sites are
excluded from higher-value tourist activities like tourist guides, instructors,
and drivers.

CHAPTER V GLOBAL STRATEGIES FOR CULTURAL TOURISM

IN UZBEKISTAN

5.1 Benchmarking Cases

It is a known fact that the main reasons why people travel is to have new
experiences and in the context developing cultural identities and heritage
attractions. benchmarking of proven experiences and gaining exposures from
good practices ought to be the first step. The following examples may be
considered.

5.1.1 Europe

Europe is a key cultural tourism destination that includes museums,

theatres, archaeological sites, historical cities, industrial sites as well as music
and gastronomy.It is estimated that cultural tourism accounts for 40% of all
European tourism 4 out of 10 tourists (2018) choose their destination based on
its cultural offering. The EU promotes a balanced approach between the needs
to boost growth on one side, and the preservation of artefacts, historical sites,
and local traditions on the other.
1) Cultural Centres of Loire Valley of France

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 The Loire Valley surrounds the Loire River in central France. It is noted
for its agriculture, historic towns and architecture. Numerous orchards,
vineyards and growing fields thrive in the riverside soil, lending the Valley its
name of the ‘Garden of France’. In 2000, the Loire Valley was classified a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its towns, cities and its castles (châteaux) such
as Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Orléans, Saumur and Tours attest to the
sophistica On December 2, 2000, UNESCO added the central part of the river
valley, between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Sully-sur-Loire, to its list of World
Heritage Sites.
The architectural heritage in the valley's historic towns is notable,
especially its châteaux. In addition to its many châteaux, the cultural
monuments illustrate to an exceptional degree the ideals of
the Renaissance and the Age of the Enlightenment on western European
thought and design. Many of the châteaux were designed to be built on the top
of hills, one example of this is the Château d'Amboise. Many of the châteaux
had extremely detailed and expensive churches on the grounds, or within the
actual château itself16.
Main experinces and strategies of the Loire Valley to attract tourists
As far as cultural and tourist attraction development strategies are
concerned, the most successful case in the Loire Valley is the development of
a linear bike lane – “Loire by Bike”.
The Loire by Bike project provides more than 300 stops along the bank
of the Loire for cyclists to take a break. There are over 500 service providers
included in the Loire by Bike brand, including accommodation, restaurants,
bike rental and repair companies, specialised companies involved in baggage
16
European Agenda for Culture (2019)
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transfer, and 16 connecting railway stations. The originally separate areas can
now interact due to Loire by Bike, and are becoming a structural element of
the Loire Valley for building a single tourist territory and confirming the
continuity of the entire valley. Loire by Bike saw 1 102 000 bike tourists in
2016.
Second, in response to the declining trend of castle visits, managers have
implemented many product diversification strategies to ensure the
competitiveness of heritage sites. For example, the castles of Chambord and
Clos Lucé hold events to promote heritage sites to specific audiences. These
activation approaches appear to be more widely implemented in private
institutions, whilst public actors tend to be more cautious. The success of
tourism development depends on the ability of destinations to self-renew.
Finally, according to the results of the 2010 visitor, the “typical” visitors
to the Loire Valley’s attractions are those who are familiar with heritage and
cultural activities, staying in the country for 6 days, and visiting 4 castles.
Visiting the castle is the main motivation for travelling, but discovering
natural attractions and tasting food and wine are also crucial for visitors. The
survey confirms that tourists in the Loire Valley are mostly well-educated
cultural tourists who are familiar with heritage and therefore relatively
demanding of services and attractions. The Loire Valley proves the diversity
of its assets, including heritage, nature, wine and cuisine; and is a territory
worth visiting again.

2) The Industrial Monuments Route of the Silesian Voivodeship of

Poland

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 This case study concerns the tourist attractiveness of the Silesian
voivodeship area. It presents the local authorities’ policy and activities
undertaken to develop tourism in the region, more specifically, the work of the
Silesian Tourist Organisation and Silesian Voivodeship Speaker’s Office to
create an attractive image for the Silesian voivodeship.
The diversity of the region together with a well-developed infrastructure
- good communication facilities, international airport, road and motorway
network, and excellent accommodation and catering facilities - make the
Silesian voivodeship a region highly attractive for tourists.
Issues related to the location attractiveness is its geographical situation and
natural resources, the Silesian region has been the object of numerous
diplomatic and military actions by neighbouring countries throughout the
ages. Silesia has become a multicultural region due to past changes in
affiliation of this area (Polish, Czech, Austrian and Prussian).
The target locations are the 31 sites on the “Industrial Monuments Route
of the Silesian Voivodeship”. The primary target group is composed of
industrial tourism lovers and the secondary target group is composed of
school children (educational school trips), students (history and technical
faculties from Poland and abroad), scientists and their students, families with
children (educational offer), business tourists from Poland and abroad
interested in investments in the post-industrial areas and foreign tourists. The
Self-Government of the Silesian Voivodeship financially supported the project
by developing its strategy, creating its logo and information boards, among
others. The Ministry of Economy supports the Silesian Tourist Organisation
while the Silesian Voivodeship Speaker’s Office supports regular trainings

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seminars.
Assessment of the project. The “Industrial Monuments Route of the
Silesian Voivodeship” attracts a lot of attention, especially among Polish
tourists. Foreign tourists also frequently visit the route, as statistics confirm.
For example, the Brewery Museum in Żywiec, which was opened recently,
was visited by about 103 000 tourists. Among the visitors, the largest group
was composed of Polish tourists.
The “Industrial Monuments Route of the Silesian Voivodeship” is
constantly being developed and new sites are being added, which increases its
attractiveness. The marketing strategy for the route is planned for the long
term. The important task will be the development of the distribution channels
for the tourist product. An important element in the process of building the
product is the efforts to include the “Industrial Monuments Route of the
Silesian Voivodeship” in the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

3) The Vorarlberg Province of Austria

Vorarlberg is the Federal Province located at the most western part of

Austria. From a cross-border perspective, Vorarlberg forms part of the
international Lake Constance area, which includes parts of Germany,
Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The international Lake Constance area is a
region characterised by dynamic growth and a highly developed business and
recreation area; its immediate sphere of influence encompasses the large
urban centres of Stuttgart, Munich and Zurich. Vorarlberg has an area of 2
601.48 km2 and has 363 880 inhabitants (December 2017).
Due to their rich cultural heritage and their international, multicultural

64
character, Vorarlberg and the surrounding Lake Constance area possess
diverse and attractive basic resources for a culturally interesting form of
tourism. Vorarlberg’s distinctive features are a highly diversified natural and
cultivated landscape in a small area, rich customs, and an interesting
craftsman tradition, which are maintained and presented to this day with pride
and openness for everything new, yet in rejection of cheap forms of tourist
exploitation.
The project Future Strategy for Culture Tourism Vorarlberg 2022+
primarily focuses on the elaboration of a strategy for the development of
culture tourism. The objective was to fathom out the chances and possibilities
of culture tourism in an international market environment, and to develop a
suitable positioning of Vorarlberg in culture tourism. The strategy also
provided for the planning and realisation of the main implementation
measures and the necessary organisation and co-operation forms for the
accomplishment of the new strategy. The programme was developed in close
co-operation with the regional experts and representatives of culture and
tourism organisations, and represents an effective implementation impulse for
jointly developed strategies and projects.
The programme’s target group included the representatives of cultural
and tourism organisations that possess significance for the development of a
culture tourism in Vorarlberg focusing on national and international markets.
The programme was commissioned and financed by the provincial tourism
organisation Vorarlberg Tourismus.
The developers of the strategy succeeded in establishing and
strengthening a high level of interest among important representatives of the

65
culture and tourism sector, new perspectives, and the fundamental willingness
to participate in the implementation of the jointly prepared Future Strategy for
Culture Tourism Vorarlberg 2022+. The program has contributed significantly
to the active participation of Vorarlberg’s tourism and cultural institutions in
the creation and establishment of national marketing co-operations.

5.1.2 America
America cover an area of 42.1 million square kilometers. It has a
population of about 1021 million people (2019). America is divided into three
parts - North America. Central America and South America. divided into
different natural zones and climatic zones. In recent years. the United States
has slightly lost its position in the international tourism market (in terms of
tourist bargaining and revenue). but it has not lost its attractiveness for
tourism. The share of the Americas in international tourism is 16.6%.
1) The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival of The USA
In 1970, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation was established as
the nonprofit owner of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with a
mission to sow the seeds of the unique culture of New Orleans for generations
to come. In the beginning, the festival was not the world-famous event that it
is today. The festival is the world's premier showcase of Louisiana music,
food and culture, and one of the most popular festival in the world. Jazz Fest
attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Orleans and pumps $300
million a year into the local economy. In 2018, only about 450 people
attended the Festival, about half the number of musicians and other
participants in the event.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. is a leader in
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ensuring that the culture of Louisiana and the people who create it are
appropriately recognized and rewarded for their immense contributions to the
world civilization and the global economy. There is Strategic Priorities of the
festival following:
 Strengthen the governance and management of the foundation; increase the
foundation’s efficiency and accountability; heighten the impact of its
programming.
 Diversify the funding base of the foundation.
 Strengthen relationships with constituent communities.
 Communicate clearly identity and image of the foundation.
 Identify the organizational and human resources required to support the
foundation’s growth and development in the future.
There are successful assets and programs of the festival following:
One of important programs is “The Don Jamison Heritage School of
Music”. The mission of the Foundation would not be complete without an
education program. New Orleans is a city of musical dynasties and thus the
sounds of our culture continue to be passed down to subsequent generations,
refreshed and reinvented. The Don Jamison Heritage School of Music fosters
this traditional succession. It is imperative that our youth be exposed to the
extraordinary musicians abundant in New Orleans.
“The Tom Dent Congo Lecture Series” is named for the late jazz scholar,
early Foundation Board member, and later an Executive Director, the Tom
Dent Congo Square Lecture Series offers many outlets for the Foundation’s
educational outreach. Monthly lectures and twice-yearly symposia on issues
of culture and commerce allow the series to delve into the history of New

67
Orleans music and elaborate upon the ways its artists have reacted to the
changing world around them.
The program of “School Day at the Fest” is to help the youngest among
us experience and appreciate the riches of our culture, the Foundation created
a special Jazz Fest program especially for children. More than 1,500
elementary and middle school students take a field trip to the Festival.
Since 1979, the Jazz & Heritage Foundation has reinvested the proceeds
from the Festival back into the community. This is done in the form of grants
to arts organizations and individuals to support activities that correspond with
the Foundation's mission. Funds have been granted to dance troupes, theater
workshops, gallery showings, film productions, educational outreach
programs, folk artists, and music festivals.

2) Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia of Brazil

Salvador was the first colonial capital of Brazil and the city is one of the
oldest in the New World (founded in 1549 by Portuguese settlers). It was also
one of the first slave markets on the continent, with slaves arriving to work on
the sugar plantations. The area is in the older part of the upper city (Cidade
Alta) of Salvador.
Salvador de Bahia is an eminent example of Renaissance urban
structuring adapted to a colonial site having an upper city of a defensive,
administrative and residential nature which overlooks the lower city where
commercial activities revolve around the port. Salvador de Bahia is one of the
major points of convergence of European, African and American Indian
cultures of the 16th to 18th centuries. Its founding and historic role as capital
of Brazil quite naturally associate it with the theme of world exploration
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already illustrated by the inclusion on the World Heritage List of the Old
Havana (1982), Angra do Heroismo (1983), San Juan de Puerto Rico (1983),
and Cartagena (1984).
Within the boundaries of the Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia are
located all the elements necessary to express its Outstanding Universal Value,
including the escarpment that divides it into Upper and Lower towns; the
Pelourinho district’s underlying 16th-century urban plan; and the web of
streets with rows of uniform houses interwoven with notable examples of
religious, administrative, military and commercial and monumental
architecture dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries.
The Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia is protected by laws enacted by
the three levels of government: Decree-Law 25/1937, implemented by the
federal government through the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico
Nacional (National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage – IPHAN);
Law 3660/1978, passed by the Bahia state government through the Instituto
do Patrimônio Artístico e Cultural da Bahia (Artistic and Cultural Institute of
Bahia – IPAC); and Municipal Law 3289/1983, setting forth Specific
Municipal Legislation for the Protection of Cultural Property, through which a
protection area encompassing the IPHAN-designated cultural site is
established
Sustaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the property over time
will require continuing the integrated efforts to revitalize the area and reverse
the process of urban decay; advancing residential revitalization of the historic
center to counteract the progressive population exodus and to sustain the area
as a living organism within the urban landscape; and establishing monitoring

69
indicators for these and any future interventions, to ensure that such
interventions do not have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal
Value, authenticity and integrity of the property.

3) State of Michoacán of Mexico

Mexico and the State of Michoacán share with most developed countries
an appreciation of cultural resources as factors for development. When
Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism decided to diversify tourism development, not
only by promoting sunny beach resorts, but by supporting the touristic
development of sites that have a rich cultural heritage, tangible and intangible,
the government of the State of Michoacán was ready to make the best of this
opportunity.
The State of Michoacán’s tourism policy entails the development of a
new and functional model for cultural tourism, which intends to give touristic
value to the rich historical and architectural heritage, together with the natural
environment, where towns, rural villages and indigenous communities
develop.
Michoacán’s cultural resources are tangible and intangible, key elements
in its villages and communities. The present value and significance of this
heritage, from the tourist’s point of view, is related to the role that Michoacán
has played in the history of Mexico. The quality and artistic value of these
resources lies on the state of conservation of the built heritage and on the
validity of centennial cultural expressions; that is, a living and dynamic
culture.
In view of these circumstances, a joint strategy has been designed which
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encompasses three levels of government: federal, state and municipal, plus the
businessmen in the sector. It is aimed at undertaking co-ordinated actions and
investments that take full advantage of natural and cultural resources in a
sustainable manner to generate economic growth and social development in
the communities. To this end, 13 federal ministries and government agencies
and 12 state agencies related to the sector are part of an overall project with
actions of high social impact and sustainable and efficient use of resources.
Michoacán in order to rescue and revitalise the cultural heritage in
buildings. Such is the case of the association “Adopt a Work of Art”, which
has undertaken exemplary actions to recover and conserve these goods with
absolute respect for the communities, the environment and cultural processes.
An example of this significant work in Michoacán is the restoration of the
chapel in Tupátaro, which has a unique coffered ceiling and an altar piece of
the 16th century. Also in the P’urhépecha plateau, “Adopt a Work of Art”
restored ceilings, altar pieces and images in churches and chapels of the 16th
and 17th centuries.
The programme has been so successful that the government of the state
of Michoacán has shared its experience with other destinations that have
similar features and which are now using this technology. Soon there will be a
Quality Club Treasures of Mexico, with a vision and regional scope that may
set forth a new culture regarding touristic services. States presently
participating in the Quality Club Programme are Morelos, Chiapas,
Guanajuato and Puebla.

5.1.3 Asia and the Pacific

Cultural tourism to Asia is increasing and will be a key driver of
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economic growth in the coming decade. Yet despite more visitors to Asia,
tourism growth is not inevitable for all countries in the region. This brief
identifies the trends driving this increase. To secure and sustainably harness
the benefits of this growth, this brief recommends that Asia countries create
an enabling environment for tourism through interventions in four areas:
tourism policy, strategy, and the regulatory environment; infrastructure;
human resources; and product development and marketing. The demand for
cultural and natural experiences has been increasing globally, particularly
among Asian countries.

1) Temple Stay Programme of Korea

Theme-based tourist attractions are enjoying increasing popularity,
particularly as a means of diversifying the tourist product and adding
attractiveness to local territories. As a cultural resource, the Temple Stay
Programme is a good example of a theme-based tourist attraction. It is a
cultural experience programme designed to help visitors understand
Buddhism in Korea better and contributes to enhance attractiveness and
competitiveness of local territories as cultural tourism resources.
A Temple Stay is a cultural-experience programme designed to help
people understand Korean Buddhism better. Temple stays offer various kinds
of practicing methods such as yebul (ceremonial service involving chanting),
chamseon (Zen meditation), dahdoh (tea ceremony) and balwoo gongyang
(communal Buddhist meal service). Participants can find their “true self”
amongst the harmony of nature while staying at a temple.
Most temples participating in the programme are located either in
national or provincial parks which feature well preserved natural
72
environments. Thus, the programme provides participants with an opportunity
to relax, reflect and revitalise themselves in the tranquillity of nature.
The Temple Stay is a cheap and stress-free vacation, with all meals,
clothing and housing provided, and is organised around a planned schedule.
While for some this may sound like signing up for military training for the
weekend, it is the ideal environment in which to simply let go of everything
and relax. When guests arrive at a temple, they first change into a comfortable
uniform.
The Temple Stay is a unique cultural resource, which over a relatively
short period of time has gained iconic status in the Republic of Korea and
progressed both the concept of Buddhism and its host territories. The success
of the Temple Stay demonstrates how an entrepreneur with a creative way of
thinking in developing cultural tourism products and innovative problem-
solving can build a dream into a reality. The resulting relationship between
tourism and Temple Stay is mutually beneficial. The Temple Stay provided
insight into how innovative partnership between the government and religious
organisations can work to create attractiveness of the destination
There are various ways in which public-private partnerships can be
formulated because the nuances of the particular contributions of public
sectors and private organisations will be dictated by circumstances unique to
each context. However, public-private partnerships can be classified into three
major categories and these provide the framework for the development of
cultural tourism resources by such partnerships.
Temple Stay Programme is a cultural asset to enhance attractiveness of
local territories, contributing to the national tourism improvement in terms of

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the provision of cultural richness, diversification and differentiation of
tourism resources, and suggestion for best publicprivate partnership.
Sustainable tourism management, enhancement, interpretive management and
constant monitoring of temples and heritage assets should be major tasks for
temple managers, public sectors and local communities.

2) The Port Arthur Historic Site of Australia

The Port Arthur penal settlement began as a small timber station in 1830.
The initial decade established the first manufactories including ship building,
shoemaking, smithing, timber and brick making. The 1840s witnessed a
consolidation of the industrial and penal nature of the settlement as the
convict population reached more than 1 100. Port Arthur Historic Site is a
place of cultural significance for Tasmanians and Australians alike, as well as
being of considerable relevance to international visitors, particularly those
from the British Isles and nations with a shared British colonial history. The
site has been a significant visitor attraction since it ceased being a prison in
1877, and has played an important role in the development of tourism
infrastructure, investment and community in the region.
The site is managed by the Port Arthur Historic Site Management
Authority (PAHSMA) and is the largest employer in the municipality. It is
also the state’s most visited tourist attraction, drawing approximately 250 000
Tasmanian, Australian and international visitors each year to its daytime
activities, and a further 45 000 to 50 000 annually for evening Historic Ghost
Tours. At the same time, the funding has enabled PAHSMA to meet the
overarching requirements of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management
Authority Act 1987.
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 The contribution of the Port Arthur Historic Site to the development of
Tasmania can be valued through use, both direct (recreational, commercial,
educational, aesthetic and social) and indirect (research dissemination and
non-use values for example, pure existence and vicarious consumption
values). Visitor numbers to the site have grown significantly since the
recurrent funding program.
One of successful lessons learnt the case is that the Authority reassessed
its marketing strategy during 2017 in response to the TTDS and to a range of
major factors affecting tourism globally, within Australia and Tasmania in
particular. As a result of the review, PAHSMA appointed a full-time marketing
manager to its staff and is developing a renewed strategic marketing plan.
Visitor research undertaken in late 2016 identified four core visitor segments
based on motivation to visit and response to the Historic Site. These segments
are not related to demographic factors in any way – instead they are a product
of individual preferences and experience.

3) Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival of China

The Harbin International Ice and Snow festival is an annual winter
festival that takes place with a theme in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, and now
is the largest ice and snow festival in the world. At first participants in the
festival were mainly Chinese, however it has since become an international
festival and competition, with the 2018 festival attracting 18 million visitors
and generating 28.7 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) of revenue. The festival
includes the world's biggest ice sculptures.
During Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, it can be admired various ice
sculptures, snow sculptures, ice lanterns, wonderful performances. Three main
75
venues of Harbin Ice and Snow Festival are listed in the following part,
and Ice and Snow world is the main site.
 International Ice Sculpture at Ice and Snow World
 International Snow Sculpture Art Fair on Sun Island
 Harbin Ice Lantern Show at Zhaolin Park
There are also many other sport competitions during the ice and snow
festival, including Winter Swimming Competition, International Ice Sculpture
Competition, Hockey Competition, Snowfield Football Competition, Speed
Skating Competition, Alpine Ski Competition, etc. Furthermore, many
romantic activities are also held during the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival,
such as photographic exhibition, book fair, ice and snow film festival,
wedding on the ice, etc. There is a saying, "Lucid waters and lush mountains
are invaluable assets, and Heilongjiang's world of ice and snow are also
invaluable assets". Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang fully shows this
concept. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival attracts people from all over the world
with its invaluable appreciating value and cultural value.
The ice lanterns and snow sculptures in Heilongjiang Province are of
various shapes and are exquisitely carved, injecting great vitality to the
ordinary snow and ice. Therefore, ice lanterns and ice sculptures have already
become the treasure of world ice and snow art.
In China, with the great development of tourism economy in our country,
there are already over 30 provinces and cities developing ice-snow tourism
from the Three Provinces in Northeast China to Northwest Xinjiang
Province throughout the country at present. Nearly 300 tourism attractions
are located in provinces and autonomous regions like Heilongjiang, Jilin,

76
Liaoning, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan and so on,
hold Ice-Snow Festivals and give a constant declining of Heilongjiang’s
portion in the national tourism market.

5.2 Strategies for Cultural Tourism of Uzbekistan

Although the Uzbek Tourism Industry have efficiently handled the

foreign inflow of people from time to time, as per the outcome of the research
it is identified various strategies which are as follows: there is a limited
number of tourism services, and appropriate development would be sufficient
to create attractiveness. Moreover, favorable tourism strategies should be
formulated by the public and private sector bodies aimed at promoting
tourism of Uzbekistan.
Looking at the total results, the European cases related to Cultural
Tourism appears to be the most convenient experiences to adapt. Its
development strategies show the highest potential for a successful realization.
From this point of view, The Vorarlberg Province, Austria should become
other suitable cases for Uzbekistan. The project Future Strategy for Culture
Tourism Vorarlberg primarily focuses on the elaboration of a strategy for the
development of culture tourism. The strategy also provided for the planning
and realization of the main implementation measures and the necessary
organization and co-operation forms for the accomplishment of the new
strategy. In the thesis, This recommendations particularly relate to the long-
term strategies. France and Poland strategies have quite a good capability to
identify the development resources and influence their composition due to the
micro-environment conditions which can be good solution to overcome to

77
some problems facing cultural tourism. Greater attention should be paid to
how to use cultural resources to contribute effectively to achieving the
competitive advantage. One possible way is to implement more detailed
analysis of the situation in other regions in order to find ways to use these
resources that are different and also difficult to reproduce.
In the research, American case studies were used to offer long-term
strategies to develop cultural tourism of Uzbekistan. Such as a case of the
USA, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, identifying the
organizational and human resources required to support the foundation’s
growth and development in the future through culture was learnt and
evaluated for Strategies to develop human resource in cultural tourism. For
the case of Mexico, experiences of key issues is Establishing and
strengthening a high level of interest among representatives of the culture and
tourism sector which was used for short-term strategies.
In Asian cultural tourism, the case of Republic of Korea, the Temple Stay
program was applied for culturalization strategies for strategies with
architectural heritage and archeological sites. Following lessons from the case
study: creative and innovative way of thinking in developing cultural tourism
products, strategy to transform cultural resources in tourism experiences
(infrastructure, clusters, human resources), strong partnership between public
and private sectors in developing cultural resources as tourism products were
learnt. In a case of China and Australia, the lessons of developing authentic
experiences of the festival and various experiences related to entertainment
projects, A robust long-term conservation outlook for the cultural sites were
applied for long-term strategies such as regard Festivals, Food and

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Gastronomy.

5.2.1 Culturalization Strategies

The overall objective consists of the following specific sub-objectives: 1)

to present the guidelines and conceptual approaches on issues of Cultural
Tourism; 2) to find out about different approaches to Cultural practices in the
tourism through case studies; 3) to analyze possible gains resulting from the
implementation of cultural sectors.
1) Strategies with regard to the craft industry

In the Neolithic era, the first ceramic and textile production was created
in Uzbekistan, the first important craft (the culture of Khorezm region,
Bukhara and Surkhandarya region, etc.). However nowadays this branch of
cultural tourism is poorly developed in Uzbekistan and although handcrafts of
Uzbekistan especially rugs& carpets are in the highest quality in the world but
in supply process needs to be developed in a better state.
The Strategies put together by the programmed aim first of all to improve
the existing product before suggesting the creation of new products.
Improving the tourist potential of existing products:
Because of its social importance, the craft sector is the subject of the
most numerous and the most pertinent recommendations. First of all, the
sector needs to be supported by an appropriate policy for training, for the
organization of the artisans, for the promotion of their products, and for the
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establishment of their products as an integral part of the tourist industry. To do
this, it is suggested that there should be different funding formulae for the
training centers, that permanent exhibitions should be organized, that
encouragement should be given to the artisans by holding competitions with
prizes for the best artisan, and that grants should be provided for artisans to
purchase the raw materials at a discount.
A tradition of practical short courses for tourists should be organized by
the Ministry of Tourism and the craft monitoring bodies, as well as the tour
operators who devise schedules for the country in which it would be desirable
to bring together the relevant local organizations. Theme-based workshop
holidays can be marketed by the travel agencies and can cover a variety of
trades: pottery, weaving, wood painting, metalwork, embroidery, etc. This
type of product, which is still non-existent in the Uzbekistan.
One of the structures that could be taken on board to help develop this
type of product are the vocational training centers for the arts and
crafts.Secondly, The museums and exhibitions policy which has been
constantly pushed by the public authorities in support of the craft industry.
Moreover, A comparison of the two is also very interesting in that turkey,
because it opened up to the Western world at an early stage, has built up
experience in the organization of the craft sector and in its integration into the
tourist product, an experience which could be beneficial to the Uzbekistan.
To support the craft industry, a craft research centre is planned, which
would need to become active in the areas of documentation, research, training
and promotion.
2) Strategies with regard to the architectural heritage

80
 A large number of tourism travel to Uzbekistan to see the ancient
architecture or places although both countries have huge properties in the
same issue (Samarkand, Bukhara and Itchan Kala ).
The Strategies concern improving the visibility of monuments. For this to
happen, it is necessary to improve road access to sites and above all to put in
place a systematic series of road signs enabling independent travelers and
visitors to reach and visit the monuments. Excavation and restoration work
must be rounded off by an attempt to promote the monuments and to boost
their attraction, and avoid damage to the ancient buildings.
In Uzbekistan, Adapting some of these historic buildings to tourist use
must not over shadow the need to protect them. Sites must be strictly
protected against any tourist or hotel facility being located nearby which
could, because of its proximity, adversely affect the size or visibility of the
site. Such protection may take the form of institutional monitoring of all
private or public projects that entail converting old residences into
accommodation or restaurant facilities. Above all, with a forecast growth in
tourist numbers, a master plan will be needed for each of the historic sites,
establishing the conditions for their use by tourists. This plan should establish
strict and precise regulatory protection for the area around the sites, car
parking regulations and the access and itineraries for group visits. It should
also allocate guard duties and specify security patrols. It should specify the
use of the land adjacent to the site, the location of excavation or restoration
work, and what service buildings (ticket offices, security office, shops,
cafeterias, toilets) and other facilities (information panels, signs, wastepaper
bins) are necessary.

81
 Buildings for artistic events or for organizing festivals is a beneficial use
of ruins, allowing them to be brought back to life. Two preconditions need to
stressed here: a saturation point must be determined and avoided to prevent
damage to the monuments, and international tour operators must be involved
so that they can feed the festival dates into their scheduling. For this to
happen, these dates need to be fixed and the travel agencies notified well in
advance.
There are many ways in which tourism intervenes and utilizes the
architectural heritage in Uzbekistan. Those which have been reported in the
various studies can be placed in three main categories: specific adaptation
projects allowing ruins to be utilized, buildings put to a new use to host tourist
activities, such as accommodation, restaurants or shops, and the use of
historical monuments as backdrops for the organization of various festivals.
There is another kind of development which is crucial for cultural
tourism but which is remarkable by its absence in Uzbekistan there are no
information panels with maps, sketches or explanations for independent
tourists wishing to visit without a guide.
One of the ways of utilizing the architectural heritage that appears most
often in the studies is the use of the often grandiose setting of the various
monuments for festivals that can attract large crowds of foreign and local
tourists.
Uzbekistan currently has five sites listed with UNESCO: Bukhara,
Samarkand, Itchan kala, Shakhrisabz and Western Tien-Shan Mountains.
These sites, however, lack sufficient management plans for protection and
conservation. The first thing any tourist will notice upon arrival at the near

82
3,000 year-old remaining structures of Persepolis, is the graffiti carved into
the rocks by international and domestic tourists.
Tourism will turn Uzbekistan into a competitor for international tourist
arrivals and foreign revenue in the Middle East. In terms historical attractions,
two of its major competitors are Egypt and Jordan. One of the prime historical
sites of Uzbekistan that symbolizes uzbek culture is Itchan Kala.
Many Uzbeks do not fully realize the depth and value of their culture and
therefore take heritage sites for granted. Instead, many choose to travel to
neighboring states such as Kazakhstan because of their lax laws. Uzbekistan
has a great need for public awareness campaigns regarding the value of
tourism and cultural heritage. International tourists coming to experience
Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage could encourage Uzbeks to travel domestically,
preventing leakage of Uzbek money into other economies. An improvement
of infrastructure and facilities will also persuade Uzbeks to travel
domestically.
3) Strategies with regard to archeological site and museum

Although the museums bring in experts and specialists to ensure quality

presentation of the exhibits, they were created before the arrival of organized
tourism and so pose problems for group visits: it is not easy for all the
members of the group to visit the exhibition rooms at the same time, there is
insufficient lighting, the acoustics arc sometimes poor, there is a lack of seats
for elderly visitors, there are inadequate articles for sale at the end of the visit,
etc. This last observation also goes for the other countries where the museums
are sometimes little suited to international or national tourists who arrive on
package tours. There is a need for a refurbishment and upgrading effort in this

83
respect.
Badly-damaged infrastructures, poor condition of museums and historical
sites, shortage of investments especially for research and the urgency needed
for creation of regional museums are among reasons for such a big request.
Importtanly, War and religious and sport museum which can more valuable
and equipped in Uzbekistan.

4) Strategies with regard to the health tourism

Health Tourism depending on the resource and type of facility ,This is

one of the most ancient types of tourism as the benefits of natural springs,
water cures; spas and mud are well-known from earlier times until present
time. To already existing mineral and medicinal hot water treatments, this sort
of tourism has recently added seawater therapy, beauty treatment, fitness and
anti-stress treatments to fight with the stress of daily life. Accordingly,
advanced thermal resorts serving in turkey for a variety of treatment
opportunities, now become much more popular.
Another things which is very important to develop Uzbekistan health
tourism is the existence of resort hotels which is doing lots of beauty center
like Natural therapies such as anti-agingtherapies, aroma therapy, osteopathy,
ayurveda, shiatsu are just some the facilities of beauty clinics. Furthermore,
most beauty centers provide solarium, skin and hair care, diet and fitness
programs.

5.2.2 Short -Term Strategies

A transformation of cultural tourism is required to make Uzbekistan

84
competitive in the global travel market place. This is the context and rationale
for this Tourism strategic plan, which recommends actions and
implementation mechanisms for the next years, with a short-term view toward
Tourism Vision and achieving sustainable development goals.
In this chapter, it is proposed some measures to address the issues
identified the problems. These strategies draw on the survey of the key
stakeholders as well as the best international experiences.
1) Strategies to overcome difficulty of access and inadequate
infrastructure
The difficulty of access and inadequate infrastructure are the most
pressing issues demanding government intervention. Key stakeholders
indicate a strong need for and an overwhelming support to the modernization
of hard infrastructure . Since airports are Uzbekistan’s main gateways and. in
a sense its business card, the country’s four international airports should be
modernized. Funding could be secured though public-private partnership
mechanisms with foreign investors. The border control, customs, ticketing and
baggage policies should be reviewed and optimized. Government should
consider relaxing visa requirements for some high potential countries, in
addition to the existing list of the visa-exempt countries. An electronic visa
(E-visa) system should be introduced and integrated into Tashkent, new e-
government system.
Furthermore. Government should work closely with the International
Civil Aviation Organization to lift the EU ban on Uzbek airlines, and carry out
a feasibility study for establishing regular flights to main source markets in
Europe (e.g. Germany) and Asia (e.g. China and India). The rules of

85
international air transportation should be reviewed with the aim of their
liberalization and engagement of big international air carriers. This program is
being already considered by the Uzbek Government, and is known as the
“Open Skies” policy.
Government in cooperation with national air carriers should also
undertake a feasibility study for launching new domestic flights to some
popular tourist destinations in Bukhara. Samarkand and Khorezm provinces.
Alternatively, tour operators and local air carriers should be encouraged to run
charters flights in the peak seasons.
Next, the reconstruction of local roads leading to major tourist attractions
can be accomplished though public-private partnerships between local
authorities, private businesses and foreign investors. The appropriate ancillary
road infrastructure, including navigational signs and first aid stops should be
put in place.
Finally, the existing programs of the rehabilitation of water supply,
sewage and garbage collection systems (funded by donors’ loans) should be
expanded to cover important tourist centers. This initiative can be financed
from existing and new donor loans and grants.
The proposed measures would stimulate both foreign and domestic
tourism, and would have a significant multiplicative impact on all economic
sectors and all population strata. First, any big infrastructure project typically
employs a large number of local people. e.g. for construction works. Second,
the infrastructural modernization would have spillover effects stimulating all
economic sectors, not only the tourism sector.
2) Strategies to improve marketing and digital technologies

86
 These constraints could be addressed through the following measures.
First, thorough market research should be carried out with an eye on
identifying new, high-impact potential tourism markets (e.g. Europe, America,
South Korea, Russia, China and India) and respective products. Based on this
research, a coherent short-medium term strategy for tourism marketing should
be developed. An effective branding and positioning of Uzbek tourist products
should also be undertaken. Such branding would define a unique image of
Uzbekistan’s tourism that distinguishes it from its competitors.
Second, promotional material, including brochures, documentaries, video
and audio clips, should be designed and disseminated through Uzbek
embassies, consulates, international tourist fairs, exhibitions, television
channels. Internet-based social media and other media outlets. Third, the
Uzbek Ministry of Culture. Information and Tourism should hold regular
annual international conferences, exhibitions and fairs for representatives of
foreign businesses and embassies. Fourth, tourist information kiosks should
be installed in all airports, border control points, hotels etc. Fifth. Uzbek tour
operators should work together with travel agents of the neighboring
countries, e.g. Kazakhstan. Kyrgystan. Turkmanistan and Tajikistan, to
develop joint Silk Road tours.
With the influence of Industry 4.0, the world is now at a flash point of
digital transformation. This is a chance for Uzbekistan to integrate technology
in a way to increase labour productivity and optimise economic efficiency.
Last but not least, the Uzbek tourist sector should be integrated into the
new e-government system – Tashkent – promoted by the Government. Tour
operators, travel agents, hotels and other tourist businesses could benefit from

87
real-time data and information on most topics of their interest and, in turn,
feed-in information on their products, e.g. availability of rooms, tours.
3) Strategies to develop service quality and skills of service providers
These constraints can be dealt with by concerted efforts of Parliament.
various government agencies, including the Ministry of Education. Ministry
of Culture, Information and Tourism, tour operators, hoteliers, restaurateurs,
and local authorities.
By contrast, Government can be instrumental in improving the training
and skills of tourist specialists. First, the Ministry of Education in cooperation
with the Uzbek Tourist Association and representatives of hospitality
businesses should revise the professional standards and curricula both for
higher educational institutions and vocational training schools in the field of
tourism and hospitality services. A special emphasis should be placed on
vocational training focusing on practical skills (e.g. translation, food services,
logistics, computer literacy, budgeting, local geography and history) rather
than abstract academic knowledge. Internships at tourism firms should also be
integrated into the curricula.
Second, in line with the new, draft law on tourism, clear and transparent
criteria for accreditation of tour operators and other tourism firms should be
developed. Accreditation would enable tour operators to train and to certify
tour guides in their respective fields of specialization. Parliament is
considering placing the responsibility for accreditation with the Ministry of
Economy. Tour operators, in turn, are envisaged to design common, industry-
wide professional certification standards based on UNWTO standards.
Third, local communities and eco-tourism businesses should be trained in

88
hard adventure tourism services, for example, as ski instructors, mountain
guides, and rescuers. It is critical to enforce strict safety regulations on hard
adventure tourism. Parliament should develop the legal-normative basis for
life and medical insurance policies for hard adventure tourists.
Furthermore, the existing personnel of tourism firms and community-
based eco-tourism businesses should be given on-the-job training in best
international practices and standards in their respective fields, e.g. hotel and
restaurant business, tour guides, eco-tourism. Partnerships with foreign
educational and professional tourism institutions should be fostered.
4) Strategies to tackle short seasonality of tourist products
Short seasonality problem can be mitigated through development of the
international conferences and events tourism segment. Of course, a more in-
depth and comprehensive analysis of the demand and capacity is warranted. A
stakeholder working group, including the Ministry of Culture, Information
and Tourism, representatives of big hotels, philharmonic, theaters, sanatoria,
needs to be set up to study potential demand and to prepare an action plan for
developing the business conferences and events tourism market.
Another way to tackle this problem is to create all-year-around tourist
clusters, for example, in Samarkand and Bukhara provinces, which have
abundant touristic resources and better infrastructure. Generally, a tourist
cluster is a form of horizontal integration of tourist products into
complementary product value chains. Tourist clusters would encompass
diverse products and services, all contributing to a core tourist product of the
cluster. As such, clusters could realize economies of scale and scope, by
optimizing the composition and seasonal distribution of tourism products, and

89
reducing transaction costs through joint use of physical infrastructure,
advertising, sales and personnel training.
Tourist clusters would also contribute to regional and local development,
and in particular, that of local communities in remote mountainous areas. An
alternative to tourism clusters, currently discussed by the tourism sector
community, is tourism destinations. Tourist destinations are, roughly
speaking, geographic locations supplying certain tourism services and
products. They are less comprehensive and less interlinked than clusters.
Tashkent is a good illustration of the concept of tourism clusters. It
enjoys milder winters and can host big international conferences, other
cultural and sport events in low seasons as well, based on its all-year-around
sanatoria and resorts as well as other objects built for the “Asirlar Sadosi” in
Samarkand. There is also a world-class ski resort in Tashkent. Moreover, there
are many historical and archeological sites (e.g. petroglyphs, excavated
ancient towns), the ethno-cultural center Tashkent.
Similar opportunities exist for the development of tourist clusters in
Fergana and Andijan provinces. Fergana has some infrastructure for winter
tourist activities and sports such as skiing and snowboarding, mineral and
thermal springs as well as many historical and archeological sites, ancient
cities of. Moreover, Samarkand can become a conference and events tourism
center. Strategies for Strengthening the Tourism Sector Khorezm province is
endowed with some unique natural reserves and historical sites, including
Urgench, Khiva and unique Ichan-Kala. These resources can be better
exploited by forming a tourism cluster of both new facilities and existing
tourism infrastructure (8 resorts, 38 hotels, 4 natural parks and reserves, 6

90
archeological-historical complexes and 6 museums).
As part of the process of forming clusters, the Government should adopt
a unified register of tourism services for tourist clusters, along with their
standards. Moreover, the Government and Parliament should also raise
international awareness and promote international cultural (e.g. song, music)
festivals, exhibitions and sport events to be held in Uzbekistan.
5) Administrative barriers to start and to run a tourism business
Administrative hurdles could be removed by direct Government
intervention. For instance, the Government can streamline procedures for
obtaining construction and utility permits for tourism objects. Furthermore,
the community-based tourism groups could be supported through preferential
tax treatment, subsidies and concessional loans. In addition, Tashkent, a new
e-government system, also holds a potential for alleviating these constraints.
It could become a one-stop shop for the registration (e.g. land use rights,
construction permits, licenses etc.) and operation (e.g. processing payments,
access to all relevant information) of tourism firms.
6) Strategies to reduce inequitable distribution of tourism receipts and
environmental pollution
These issues can be addressed through the promotion of eco-tourism and
community-based tourist groups as defined by the World Fund for Nature:
“Community Based Tourism (CBT) is a form of tourism where the local
community has a substantial control over and involvement in its development
and management; and a major proportion of the benefits remain within the
community”. CBT groups rely on sustainable practices and thereby contribute
to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. They provide tourists with

91
local food, grown using sustainable agricultural practices, authentic
accommodation (e.g. yurts), traditional music, art, crafts and cultural
practices.
Government could support CBT groups through concessional loans,
subsidies and preferential taxes. Government could also participate directly in
the establishment of “yurt towns” to be run jointly with CBT groups under
public-private partnership arrangements. Environmental pollution, too, can
and must be addressed by the Government.. Local authorities should regularly
monitor the environmental situation and enforce these regulations.

5.2.3 Long -Term Strategies

The purpose of the long-term strategy for the Uzbek tourism industry is
to create a framework for the next ten years so that Uzbekistan can capitalize
on its future growth potential as a tourism destination that offers an authentic
and unique visitor experience. This will enable Uzbekistan to maximize the
economic contribution of the tourism sector by creating an enabling
environment for investment and in turn, attract FDI for tourism industry.
The "Uzbekistan 2030" strategy sets out a package of linked technical,
organizational, economic, legal and other measures for the comprehensive
development and improvement of the country's tourism potential. It names the
attraction of international visitors to Uzbekistan as one of the most important
problems to be solved.
1) Strategies for cultural land on the silk road tourism
Uzbekistan leads the way, preserving the marvelous atmosphere of the
Silk Road with its lavishly decorated mosques, madrassas and crowded

92
bazaars filled with embroidered silk and scarves. Prominent Silk Road cities
that are located in modern Central Asia include Almaty, Andijon, Balasaghun,
Bukhara, Istaravshan, Khiva, Khujand, Kokand, Merv, Nisa, Otrar,
Shahrisabz, Samarkand, Tashkent, Termez and Urgench. In 2014, UNESCO
inscribed part of this extensive ancient route as a World Heritage Site under
the name “Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor.”
This route from central China to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan include 33
objects that once linked and facilitated a network of traders stretching for
5000 kilometers.
The New Silk Road can promote economic growth throughout the region
on the same bases as the growth of the Chinese economy: investment and
trade. This means the integration of Central Asia into the world economy.
2) Strategies to develop human resource in cultural tourism
There are a number of human resource challenges that Uzbekistan faces.
Many bright and talented Uzbeks now live abroad, largely in Russian and to a
lesser extent in the US. This poses both an opportunity (residents who can
speak foreign languages such as English and French) and a challenge (many
foreign nationals do not fully understand the Uzbek tourism product as well as
the fact that there is no guarantee that they will remain in Uzbekistan for the
long haul). Tourism contractors and tourism companies are challenged in
retaining and attracting skilled workers to work in the tourism sector.
Traditional tourism careers, particularly at the level, have lost some of their
appeal among younger generations, making it a challenge for employers to
attract and retain new skilled employees. Upgrading the skills of current
employees will also become a greater concern due to the pace of

93
technological change and new specializations in tourism information and
communication technologies.
3) Strategies with food and gastronomy
According the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Developmentís (OECD) recently published ëFood and the Tourism
Experienceí, food is an increasingly important part of tourism experiences,
and food cultures around the world are a rich source of cultural, economic and
social diversity.
In recent years, the country have placed a particular emphasis on
stimulating innovation to create new and engaging food experiences. The
success of Uzbek influenced restaurants, such as Palov in Andijan, Somsa in
Jizzakh and Norin in Tashkent, demonstrates the growing demand for novel
and authentic food experiences. Uzbekistan is no exception as evidenced by
the growing number of restaurants offering authentic and innovative Uzbek
foods, as well as the high- quality ingredients .
4) Strategies with Festivals and Events
Festivals and special events are known to play important roles in
destination development as attractions, image makers, animators of static
attractions, and catalysts for other developments .
Culture of Central Asia is full of folklore ceremonies with good
introduction. There is a need for special attention to make rapid visa
transformation and hospitality for these kinds of tourists in Uzbekistan.
Event and festival tourism is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism.
It is becoming increasingly popular as a means to revitalize local economies.
Uzbekistan has the best festivals in Central Asia: Boysun Bahori and Sharq

94
Tarolanari stand out as well-organized, interesting events. They still don’t
have up-to-date websites, but the level of professionalism of the organization
is much higher than in neighboring republics. To attract international visitors
through out festivals and events can be good solution to enhance the tourism
sector.
Over the past decade, Uzbekistan has experienced rapid expansion of its
tourism industry. The country is now at a crossroads where as the destination
matures the focus of tourism policy needs to shift away from focusing purely
on increasing visitor numbers and international tourism receipts towards the
creation of a sustainable destination that will remain competitive in the long
term. It is clear that if Uzbek tourism is to continue to prosper there is a need
to invest in the on- going development of the sector in terms of market
intelligence, investment in tourism related infrastructure.
CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION

Uzbekistan has a big potential to deeply develop its cultural tourism

market on the base of the increasing total tourist arrivals year by year. The
cultural tourism sector of Uzbekistan is potentially diverse; hence there is
already a clear need for a more comprehensive analysis of the various facets
of its development and management . Cultural tourism studies is one of the
most fascinating and exciting new disciplines to emerge from the proliferation
of tourism, leisure and cultural industries-based academic courses in recent
years.
It can be concluded that Uzbekistan has rich cultural resources and
because of its corporate culture and tradition which could be highlight some
ancient traditions, historical sites, heritage monuments and also with create a
95
lots of festivals and some facilities. But badly-damaged infrastructures, poor
condition of museums and historical sites, shortage of investments especially
for research and the urgency needed for creation of regional sites are among
reasons for such a big request for cultural tourism of Uzbekistan. As far as my
concern through sufficient funding and building up of infrastructures as well
as by exploiting income potentials, the tourism and culture sector could fetch
billions of dollars and also play a definite role in relieving the country of its
reliance on natural resources. Amidst all this, administrative help and
understanding of the importance of what the government intends to do will
guarantee the sectors’ success.
The attitude seen so far, however, has revealed otherwise. For example,
despite an urgent need for a substantial increase in the budget, Uzbek cultural
heritage tourism organization apparently based on the same old assumption
that the sectors do not deserve the money and that the funds should go to areas
that have proved to have the least role in economic progress. The funds are
needed, for example, for setting up a special unit for safeguarding cultural
heritage as well as for establishing the research center for cultural heritage
and studies. The money would also go for advertisement and marketing of
Uzbekistan’s tourism and cultural attractions and potentials at the global level.
This is an integrated part of tourism development plans worldwide. Therefore,
a request for a fund raise was rightful and in proportion with an increase in the
scope and scale of activities of the newly-established body. The lack of skilled
staff to safeguard cultural and historical sites have brought many of them on
the verge of destruction.
Facing all the challenges, Uzbekistan should integrate its cultural tourism

96
resources on the basis of heritage sites, the diverse folk customs,
revolutionary relics and long-lasting leisure and architectural traditions, and
create a favorable tourism atmosphere by exploring more participatory
projects such as cultural festivals and designing culture-themed tourism lines.
In addition, all regions and scenic areas in Uzbekistan should design more
unique cultural tourism commodities according to its own cultural features
and characteristics of visitors from home and abroad.
This research explored cultural tourism of Uzbekistan, its challenges and
opportunities, and identifies a framework for improving Cultural Tourism as
the foundation for new Central Asian tourism. It offered strategies inspired by
existing research and case study examples and suggests guidelines for policy
makers and practitioners. In hopes that the further research will be closed in
developing modern systems and extended by formulating the tourism sector.
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국문초록
최근 몇 년간 문화 관광은 끊임없이 확장되고 다양해지고 있다. 그것은 경제 성장의 도구로서 정신적
오락거리를 제공하는 인기 있고 매력적인 부서가 되었다. 우즈베키스탄은 문화가 다양하고 문화자원이
풍부하다. 이 연구는 우즈베키스탄 문화 여행지의 매력과 경쟁력에 대한 분석을 제공한다. 그것은 문화 자원이
전반적인 매력을 유발하는 국가나 지역의 경험과 관행을 검토한다. 또한, 그 연구는 우즈베키스탄의 문화 관광
번영에 직면할 수 있는 기회와 도전을 확인한다. 일련의 사례 연구를 바탕으로 관광 목적지의 매력을 높이기
위해 문화 자원을 활용하는 모범 사례와 가장 효과적인 정책이 분석되었다. 마지막으로, 우즈베키스탄의 문화
관광을 강화하기 위한 다양한 경험과 정책을 활용하는 글로벌 전략을 수립하고, 유산, 다양한 민속 풍토, 다양한
유적 및 유구한 레저와 건축 전통에 초점을 맞추고, 더 많은 참여 프로그램을 통해 좋은 관광 분위기를
조성한다.
관광 산업 발전의 각도에서 분석하면 우즈베키스탄은 필요한 조치를 취할 수 있다. 우즈베키스탄의
거대한 역사, 고고학, 자연, 문화 및 사회 우세를 이용하여 더 많은 관광객을 얻음으로써 미래의 세계 관광
수입에서 더 높은 몫을 차지할 수 있다.

주요어 : 문화 관광, 문화, 문화 화, 경제 전략, 우즈베키스탄

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