A lot of foreign tourists in Uzbekistan head for fabled Silk Road cities such as Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand, but some also go to the Alisher Navoi underground station in the Tashkent metro. There, they admire turquoise imagery and a domed ceiling evoking centuries-old Islamic architecture in a Soviet-era transit system used by hundreds of thousands of commuters every day.

The subway system in the Uzbek capital is a showcase for Uzbekistan´s internal tourism ambitions, enticing travelers with posters and video advertisements aimed at generating a domestic market alongside international visitors. State and private TV channels pitch trips to historical and pilgrimage sites for local people.

Tourists visit 16th century historical and religious sites in Nurota, an Uzbek town. Photo: TCA, Sadokat Jalolova.

These are expansionary times for tourism in the Central Asian country, which is loosening visa restrictions and ramping up its image as a leisure destination while Barcelona, Venice and other international tourism heavyweights in Western Europe are under strain. There are challenges: Infrastructure shortcomings, urban pollution, unregulated construction and occasional friction with UNESCO guidelines.

Tourism in Uzbekistan is mostly regional, with the vast majority of foreign visitors coming from post-Soviet states. Some 3.5 million foreign tourists entered the country in the first six months of this year, a 13.3% increase over the same period in 2023, according to the national statistics agency. Of those, 3.2 million came from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Smaller numbers came from Türkiye (52,000), China (29,000), India (28,000), South Korea (20,000), Italy (18,000), and other countries.

The Kalon Mosque, Minaret and the Mir-I-Arab Madrasa, Bukhara. Photo: TCA, Stephen M. Bland

Gil Stein, a professor of ancient Near Eastern studies at the University of Chicago, led a university-affiliated tourist group to explore “the traditional crafts and foods of Central Asia” for two weeks in June. The group traveled mostly in Uzbekistan, following a brisk schedule that included Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent and the Ferghana Valley – the latter is a fertile, less-touristed region extending into Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Uzbekistan is “preserving cultural heritage as a way of attracting cultural heritage tourism” and the industry caters to “three or four classes of tourist,” including the local market as well as those seeking to visit Islamic holy places and Buddhist heritage sites, Stein said. His group visited workshops, some run by sixth generation artisans, to marvel at weaved silk, hand-forged Damascus steel knives and other products.

“Traditional crafts are alive and well” and they are “patronized by modern Uzbeks” as well as foreign tourists, said Stein, who has traveled to Central Asia for years. He described a “broader opening up” in Uzbekistan as it looks to expand international contacts alongside relationships with China and Russia, the big regional powers.

Uzbekistan’s tourism revenue was $2.14 billion in 2023, about 2.35% of GDP. Current measures to boost tourism include a $50 million credit line for local tourism organizations, tax exemptions for some industry operators, hotel management courses, and an online platform making it easier for tourists to plan trips. There are high-end tours, and budget options.

The Khiva Silk Carpet Workshop, a UNESCO launched enterprise. Photo: Stephen M. Bland

In October, Samarkand hosted the general assembly of the World Trade Organization, a U.N. agency. At that meeting, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said a “visa-free regime” had been granted to nationals from about 100 nations, and that citizens of another 55 countries could enjoy a simplified electronic visa system.

A column in The Times of India described the visa process for Uzbekistan as a “cakewalk.”

“If you are a huge fan of deep history, then you definitely need this country on your bucketlist,” Simba Makahamadze, an intellectual property expert and founder of the AfricanLaw platform, said in a LinkedIn post this month after vacationing in Uzbekistan with his family.

“The warmth of Uzbek hospitality is undeniable. However, as a black African tourist, I also experienced some uncomfortable encounters,” said Makahamadze, noting constant staring, unsolicited photos and – “most disturbing” – people touching the skin and hair of his children.

Uzbek tourism seeks to build on an old culture of hospitality. Traditionally, guests staying over for the night at someone’s house often receive the largest room and the table is laden with culinary delicacies, even for sudden arrivals. Workers who help renovate a house often get treated to food and drink when they finish their job. People frequently give candy, cookies and a pat on the head to a child crying in the street.

In some families, there was an appearance of neglect when guests would be treated to fruit, vegetables and other offerings that children living in the house rarely enjoyed. But many Uzbek people are in a better economic situation than in the period when new countries in Central Asia were struggling to adapt after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Other countries in Central Asia are also looking to attract more tourists. In June, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke bluntly about infrastructure weaknesses that need to be fixed. Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, is known as a rugged, mountainous destination and offers “hunting with eagles” among its attractions.

Kosmonavtlar station, Tashkent Metro. Photo: TCA, Stephen M. Bland

The Uzbek government expects its tourism officials to push hard – a senior industry official in Tashkent was fired in June for allegedly not doing enough.

Some local people cheer the tourism windfall, but say the government should pay more attention to basic conveniences and sanitation. Toilet facilities have opened at several metro stations in Tashkent in the last few years, but some bistros and cafés in major cities don’t have toilets.

Still, the transformation in attitudes is evident at the underground station named after Alisher Navoi, a 15^th century Turkic poet who was born in the Afghan city of Herat. Photography used to be banned in the Tashkent metro. Now it’s permitted – even encouraged.