Tourism - The Times Of Central Asia

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Direct Flights

Uzbekistan Announces Direct Flights to Mauritius, Starting in December

Uzbekistan’s tourism industry is opening a new African market. On December 26, direct flights on the Tashkent-Mauritius route will start for the first time, also strengthening the Uzbek capital’s potential as a transit hub linking Central Asian and other regional countries with Mauritius, Uzbekistan’s state Tourism Committee said on Monday. “According to the plan, at the initial stage, a total of four round-trip flights on the Tashkent–Mauritius route will operate on December 26 and in January. Starting from June 2027, regular flights on this route are planned to operate once a week,” said the committee, which didn’t identify an airline. The FlyCentralAsia platform, which covers aviation in the region, reported that there will be four charter flights on December 26, as well as January 3 and 11, and an additional date in January. It reported that Uzbek tour operator Prestige Travel is organizing the flights on Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by Uzbekistan Airways. The direct flight is expected to take about 8.5 hours, significantly shorter than trips with connections in Dubai or Istanbul, according to FlyCentralAsia. Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee said it collaborated with Prestige Travel to host talks among representatives of the tourism industries of both Uzbekistan and Mauritius. Prestige Travel founder Oybek Akhmedov said the new flights will increase “mutual tourist flows,” according to the tourism committee. Akhmedov said Muslim travelers from the island nation in the Indian Ocean will be able to enjoy Uzbekistan’s cultural and Islamic heritage sites, as well as culinary traditions. Mauritius, in turn, would offer warm weather, beaches and lush landscapes to Central Asian tourists keen for a break from the harsh winter. The Mauritius initiative is being launched under Uzbekistan’s “Open Tourist Season” program, which provides subsidies for airlines opening new international routes to Uzbekistan, as well as financial benefits for local tour operators attracting tourists from long-haul international markets. Uzbekistan is seeking to expand ties with Africa. Uzbekistan Airways and Air Samarkand currently operate direct flights between Tashkent and Sharm el-Sheikh, the popular beach resort in Egypt. Uzbek diplomats have also held separate meetings with representatives of Ethiopia and South Africa to discuss the simplification of visa procedures, which would make it easier to travel between the Central Asian and African countries, the Dunyo news agency reported in July. Dunyo is the official agency of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tourism

Kazakhstan Tourism Investment Tops $4.8 Billion as Arrivals Rise

Kazakhstan recorded more than $4.8 billion in tourism investment in 2024 and 2025. Current projects include new hotels and mountain resorts, while the government is upgrading transport links to tourist areas as foreign visitor numbers rise. Investment in tourism reached 947.5 billion tenge ($2.08 billion) in 2024 and rose to 1.26 trillion tenge ($2.75 billion) in 2025. Kazakhstan has 328 tourism projects under way worth about 1.3 trillion tenge, or roughly $2.85 billion. These include new Hilton and Mandarin Oriental properties, as well as an expansion of the year-round Oi-Qaragai mountain resort near Almaty. The government expects the projects to create 25 new international-standard hotel complexes and around 10,000 permanent jobs. Revenue from hotels and other registered accommodation facilities also rose from 229 billion tenge, or roughly $500 million, in 2023 to 350.6 billion tenge, or about $770 million, in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, the figure rose 13.9% year-on-year. Kazakhstan is also trying to extend the tourism season through year-round mountain tourism and a growing events calendar. Kazakhstan received 15.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, of whom authorities classified 11.1 million as tourists because they stayed in the country for more than one day. Spending by foreign visitors in the country totaled about $2.9 billion. Around 1.43 million foreign visitors used registered hotels and other accommodation facilities, although the figure excludes those staying with relatives or friends and those using unregistered accommodation. From Football to the World Noman Games The 2025 UEFA Champions League match between Almaty’s Kairat and Real Madrid attracted more than 5,000 foreign visitors to the city. Fans arrived from China, India, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other countries. Kairat reached the league phase of the Champions League in 2025/26 but was eliminated in the third qualifying round this season, making the Real Madrid match a one-time attraction rather than a recurring source of visitors. Concerts offer a more repeatable version of the same model, with Jennifer Lopez and the Backstreet Boys performing in Almaty in 2025 and Deep Purple, Megadeth, Ricky Martin, and Enrique Iglesias following in 2026. Cirque du Soleil performances and major music festivals have also become part of the city’s events calendar. According to Mastercard, spending on international cards in Almaty during the Kairat-Real Madrid match rose 16% compared with the average for the two weeks before and after the event. It rose 11% during the Jennifer Lopez concert and 3% during the Backstreet Boys concert, while spending on Mastercard cards issued in Spain rose 81% during the Real Madrid match. The Jennifer Lopez concert attracted around 7,000 foreign spectators from 35 countries. Authorities estimated their direct tourism spending at more than 5 billion tenge, or roughly $11 million. The fifth World Nomad Games in Astana in 2024 attracted international visitors and extensive global coverage. Organized tours from the United Kingdom had sold out before the competition opened. Neighboring Countries Still Dominate Arrivals In the first half of 2026, Kazakhstan reported around 7 million foreign arrivals. The largest...

World Nomad Games

Western Tourism Interest Grows Around World Nomad Games

More than 3,000 athletes from 104 countries gathered in Bishkek on August 31 as the World Nomad Games returned to Kyrgyzstan, a sharp increase from the 583 competitors from 19 countries who attended the inaugural event at Issyk-Kul 12 years ago. Tour operators are also seeing more Western travelers, many using the Games as the centerpiece of a longer journey through Central Asia. Around 30,000 people attended the opening ceremony before the sporting and cultural programs moved to Issyk-Kul. Ahead of the Games, Kyrgyzstan’s State Agency for Tourism Development projected more than 100,000 guests over the course of the event. Late on September 2, organizers reported that around 150,000 people had visited Kyrchyn during the first two days, though they provided no methodology or breakdown between domestic and foreign visitors. Kyrgyzstan’s foreign tourism market remains predominantly regional, with more than 95% of foreign tourists in recent years coming from neighboring Central Asian countries and Russia. Arrivals from Europe and the United States have nevertheless been rising, according to the Tourism Development Fund. Western interest in the World Nomad Games was already apparent in 2024, when packages offered by Regent Holidays and Wild Frontiers, both based in the United Kingdom, sold out months before the fifth Games in Kazakhstan. Ak-Sai Travel, a Kyrgyzstan-based tour operator, is offering two itineraries built around this year’s Games. Asked whether the company has seen a significant rise in Western visitors, its chief marketing officer, Aikanysh Akynbekova, told TCA, “Yes. We have seen growing interest from Western markets over the past few years, particularly since international travel fully recovered after the pandemic.” Akynbekova identified Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Spain, and Switzerland as the company’s strongest Western markets. She attributed the increase to improved air connections and greater media coverage of Central Asia, along with growing interest in nature and cultural travel. Demand for Ak-Sai’s Games itineraries has been particularly strong among people already considering a trip to Central Asia. Many of its Western customers are visiting Kyrgyzstan or the region for the first time and are looking for less crowded destinations and meaningful cultural experiences. “For most travelers, the Games are an important highlight rather than the only reason for visiting,” Akynbekova said. The itineraries combine the event with travel through Kyrgyzstan, including its mountain landscapes and historical sites. MIR Corporation, a Seattle-based tour operator, is running one scheduled small-group tour for the Games. Andrew Barron, the company’s director of service and support for retail tours, said 11 of the 16 places had been booked, all by travelers from the U.S. For most of the group, the Games are the principal reason for traveling, although about half are also visiting elsewhere in Central Asia before or after the event. Barron knew that roughly a third had visited the region before, but could not say how many of the others were first-time visitors. Bookings opened in fall 2025, but most were made during 2026, about half since the spring. MIR continued to receive last-minute inquiries during...

Tourism

Tajikistan Creates Tourism Fund as Visitor Numbers Rise

Tajikistan has created a dedicated fund to reinvest money collected from tourists and travel companies in the country’s tourism industry. The move comes amid rising visitor numbers, with nearly 890,000 foreign tourists visiting the country in the first half of 2026, up 16.7% from a year earlier. The tourist fee predates the fund, which the government formally established by a resolution adopted on July 1. The fund will be used to improve tourism infrastructure and service standards. The money will be kept in a separate account at the Ministry of Finance’s Central Treasury, while the Tourism Development Committee is required to report to the government every six months on how the funds are used. Tourism permit fees and fines for nonpayment will provide additional revenue. The fund will also receive 5% of the value of outbound tour packages sold to citizens of Tajikistan, channeling money from trips abroad into tourism development at home. For foreign travelers, the fee depends on the type of accommodation and is based on Tajikistan’s “calculation indicator,” a government-set benchmark used for official charges. In 2026, one calculation indicator is set at 78 somoni, or about $8.40. Under the current rates, the fee is 0.2 of the indicator per day at hotels and similar accommodation, and 0.15 at guesthouses and hostels. That works out to 15.6 somoni a day in the first category and 11.7 somoni in the second, roughly $1.70 and $1.30 respectively. The charge is small relative to the overall cost of a trip to destinations such as the Pamirs. The government resolution does not state how much revenue the fund is expected to collect. Uzbekistan was the largest source market, accounting for more than half of the total, or 510,400 tourists. Russia accounted for 175,800 and Kyrgyzstan for 89,000. Another 23,100 came from Kazakhstan and 22,700 from China. The committee expects Tajikistan to receive more than 2 million foreign tourists in 2026. Russia remains one of the country’s main source markets. Russian tour operators report growing demand for the Pamir Highway and the Wakhan Corridor. The Fann Mountains and combined trips through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are also popular. Operators cite expensive airfares and insufficient tourist infrastructure as obstacles familiar to independent travelers. Tajikistan has difficulty competing with Uzbekistan for travelers drawn primarily by the architecture of its Silk Road cities. Its appeal lies elsewhere, particularly in trekking and road trips through the mountains. Some infrastructure problems have eased in recent years as electronic visas and eSIM services have become available and more hotels and restaurants are operating. Tourist information centers have opened, and sections of the Pamir Highway are being repaired. Service quality outside Dushanbe and Khujand, however, remains uneven. There are also security concerns for travelers heading toward the Afghan border. Some of the country’s most spectacular routes pass through the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. After attacks from Afghan territory killed Chinese citizens in late 2025, Dushanbe increased security in border areas. The fund’s effectiveness will depend on how much it raises and...

Aviation

Uzbekistan Turns to Georgia and Iraq as Jet Fuel Demand Rises 27%

Uzbekistan says it has arranged aviation fuel imports from Georgia, Iraq, and other countries as changes in regional air traffic drive up demand. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's office said on August 3 that demand for aviation fuel will reach an estimated 375,000 metric tons from July through December, 27% higher than in the same period in 2025. The government linked the increase to more flights through Central Asia and a rise in services to Uzbekistan, according to an official statement. “Most of this demand will be met by domestic oil refineries,” the president’s office said, adding that alternative import channels, including supplies from Georgia and Iraq, had been established in response to export restrictions imposed by certain partner countries. The statement did not identify the countries imposing the restrictions. It also gave no details about suppliers, import volumes, prices, delivery routes, or whether shipments from Georgia and Iraq have begun. Batumi Oil Terminal resumed handling European-produced aviation fuel in July, while Georgia’s Kulevi refinery does not plan to begin producing aviation kerosene until 2027. Uzbekistan has not said whether the supplies listed as coming from Georgia are produced there or re-exported through the country. State-owned Uzbekneftegaz aims to produce 310,000 tons of aviation fuel in 2026. This is only the company’s production target, not Uzbekistan’s total domestic output. The government has not said how much of the country’s aviation fuel demand will be met by Uzbekneftegaz, other domestic producers, or imports. Uzbekistan's airports handled 64,831 flights during the first half of 2026, up 8% from a year earlier. Passenger traffic rose 16% to more than 8.15 million, according to Uzbekistan Airports data. International services accounted for 47,371 flights and nearly 6.7 million passengers, with Tashkent International Airport handling 40,283 flights, up 7%, while passenger traffic increased 17% to 5.36 million. Tourism is also adding to passenger demand. Uzbekistan recorded 6,565,410 foreign visits for tourism purposes in January-June, up 24.9% from a year earlier, according to the National Statistics Committee. The increase forms part of a wider regional travel boom. However, almost three-quarters of those came from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, which together accounted for 4.9 million arrivals. The total therefore includes substantial land-border traffic and cannot be read solely as an air-passenger figure. Geopolitical disruption is another factor driving demand. The war involving Iran has constricted a main Europe-Asia aviation corridor and forced airlines away from high-risk airspace. Some services are now using a northern arc through the Caucasus and Central Asia, increasing the value of the region’s airspace. Pressure from the north predates the Iran conflict. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Western carriers have avoided Russian airspace. Uzbekistan Airways began routing Europe services around Russia and Belarus in January 2025. Its Tashkent-Munich route grew by 307 kilometers, adding 30 to 40 minutes to the journey time. Uzbekistan already had a growing air transit base. Uzaeronavigation served 188,000 flights in 2023, including 143,000 by foreign airlines. More than 74,000 flights were handled in Uzbek airspace during January-April...

Tourism

Japarov Says Tourist Flow to Kyrgyzstan Has Reached 13 Million as Central Asia’s Travel Boom Accelerates

President Sadyr Japarov says the number of tourists visiting Kyrgyzstan has reached 13 million, although his July 21 statement did not specify the reporting period or methodology behind the figure. For a country of roughly seven million people, the reported total is nearly twice the size of its population. Kyrgyzstan’s official tourism statistics count border crossings rather than unique visitors, meaning the same traveler may be counted more than once. Japarov said the total had risen from 2-3 million annual visitors before 2020-2021. However, official tourism datasets have used different measures over time, so the comparison should be treated cautiously. Kyrgyzstan has steadily strengthened its position in Central Asia’s tourism market by promoting mountain destinations, ecotourism, trekking routes, and cultural heritage. Official expectations for visitor numbers have risen almost every year alongside continued investment in the sector. According to State Agency for Tourism Development head Eduard Kubatov, about 10 million tourists visited the country in 2025, contributing more than $1 billion to the economy. Earlier this summer, the agency forecast around 12 million tourist arrivals for 2026. Kubatov said tourism accounts for more than 5% of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP and that the government aims to increase its contribution to 7.5%. The National Statistical Committee separately estimated tourism’s gross value added at 3.8% of GDP in 2024. Another factor expected to support the sector is the removal of all air carriers certified in Kyrgyzstan from the European Union’s Air Safety List, opening the possibility of direct air services between the country and EU member states. Kyrgyzstan’s latest figures come amid a broader tourism boom across Central Asia, although comparisons between countries require caution because governments use different statistical methodologies. Some count all foreign arrivals, while others distinguish between overnight tourists, same-day visitors, and other categories of travelers. Kazakhstan reported 15.7 million foreign arrivals in 2025, excluding people entering for employment or permanent residence. Official data indicates that 11.1 million qualified as tourists, while accommodation statistics show that about 1.4 million foreign visitors used registered accommodation, suggesting many stayed with relatives, friends, or in private rentals. Uzbekistan also reported strong growth. During the first half of 2026, the country recorded 6.56 million tourist arrivals, nearly one-quarter more than during the same period a year earlier. For comparison, Uzbekistan recorded about 8 million tourist trips by foreign citizens throughout 2024. One notable feature of regional tourism is the intensity of cross-border travel within Central Asia. Kyrgyz citizens formed the largest group of foreign visitors to Uzbekistan during the first half of 2026, illustrating how neighboring countries increasingly generate tourism demand for one another. The latest figures reinforce the growing importance of tourism for Kyrgyzstan’s economy. Whether the reported arrival numbers translate into higher export revenues, longer visitor stays, and greater private investment will depend less on the volume of border crossings than on visitor spending, infrastructure development, and the industry’s ability to create sustainable economic value. For now, the available data suggest that tourism is becoming increasingly important in Kyrgyzstan and across Central Asia,...