Silk road” International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Tourism Management Faculty Graduation Project Topic

Table 3. Tourism growth in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan	2017 USD (million)	2018 growth (%)	Yearly Growth (%) Est. by 2028
Direct contrib. to GDP	275.10	4.5%	6.0%
Total contrib. to GDP	830.70	3.1%	6.0%
Visitor exports	93.30	4.5%	6.9%
Domestic spending	415.50	4.4%	6.0%
Leisure spending	426.80	5.5%	6.1%
Business spending	82.10	-1.0%	6.1%
Capital investment	144.80	0.9%	4.6%

Source: Own elaboration (based on WTTC Economic Impact 2018 Uzbekistan)
For nearly 30 years, travelling to the country was difficult but with an easier visa process and regular flights to the capital, tourists are able to experience Uzbek history, architecture and cuisine. Domestic travel spending generated 81.7% of direct Travel & Tourism GDP in 2017 compared with 18.3% for visitor exports (ie foreign visitor spending or international tourism receipts).
Table 4. Number of Tourist Arrivals

Year	Arrival	Outgoing
2014	1,938.00	4,225.90
2015	2,034.30	4,868.60
2016	2,157.70	5,310.00
2017	2,847.90	6,823.90
2018	5,346.00	13,838.60

Source: Own elaboration (based on Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan)
Within these tourist arrivals, 93% of the tourists are from other CIS countries and rest of the 7% arrivals are mostly from other countries.

Table 5. Tourists Arrivals by Nationality

Countries	%
Kazakhstan	38.2%
Tajikistan	26.4%
Kyrgyzstan	17.1%
Russia	7.2%
Turkey	1.2%
China	0.6%
South Korea	0.5%
Germany	0.3%
Japan	0.3%

Source: Own elaboration (based on Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan)
After the recent updated visa policy, foreign visitors’ arrival will exponentially increase as has been seen in 2018. Tourist arrival numbers have more than doubled compared to 2017 and it is expected to be continuing with this trend. It is expected that foreign tourist’s spending will also increase and pass domestic tourist spending
Figure 4. The regions, from which the main international Touristic flows are sent to Uzbekistan (%)

Source: Own elaboration (based on The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development, 2019)
The Central Asian region stays the leading platform, which tourists are attracted into Uzbekistan.
The visitors from this region made up 86.1% of foreigners coming to Uzbekistan.
Table 6: The main goals of visiting the Republic of Uzbekistan by foreign citizens (%)

Source: Own elaboration (based on The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development, 2019)
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). The next in the list is the visitors’ group (1.1%), coming to Uzbekistan with business and professional goals. Per 1% of visitors came for medicinal and health-improving procedures and for shopping (commerce). In course of the questionnaire of foreign tourists coming to Uzbekistan made in June, 2018, duration of stay, preferences in the choice of accommodation facilities and regional spread of visits were studied.


Table 7: Trips by mode of transport

	Units	2016	2017	2018
Total	('000)	94 186	106 814	119 094
Air	('000)	40	47	50
Water	('000)	..	..	..
Land	('000)	94 146	106 767	119 044
* railway	('000)	1 126	1 569	1 876
* road	('000)	71 986	80 309	87 580
* others	('000)	21 034	24 889	29 588

Source: Own elaboration (based on World Tourism Organization (2019),
As seen from the table main transport mode is land for trips in Uzbekistan and tourists do not use water to make trips. The reason is that there are not seas.

Figure 5. Export of The Touristic Services (2018)

Source: Own elaboration (based on World Tourism Organization (2019),

According to the methodology by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the information about the international operations on export and import of the touristic services is counted on the base of data about the number of state border crossings, estimated cost parameters of one tourist, and information about the duration of stay on the territory of a country

in terms of the main travel types. On this basis, in June, 2018, a selective study of the inbound and outbound tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan was held. According to the results of this investigation and aimed at revealing the real amounts of the export of touristic services, the differentiated average expenditures on each tourist separately concerning neighboring countries, the CIS countries and those of far abroad were formulated. Due to these calculations on the outcomes of the year 2017, the export of touristic services made up 546.9 million USD, and during 2018 this indicator made up 1040.9 million USD.
3.3 Comparison of tourism potential between Turkey and Uzbekistan
When it was considered from the competitive perspective, both countries have competitive position in terms of the natural and cultural tourism resources supplied whereas a situation in need to be developed can be observed. There is a little difference between the two countries in terms of the supply of natural and cultural tourism resources.

Table 8. Comparison of tourism potential between Turkey and Uzbekistan

Selected tourism indicators	Uzbekistan	Turkey
Number of tourist arrivals	6,748,500 .	51.9 million.
Purpose of visits	81.8%-visit their relatives and friends, 15.5% – for leisure, 2.7%- treatment, shopping, business meetings, study and others.	55 % - Travel, entertainment, sports and cultural reasons, 28% - holiday, VFR, health, religion and other, 11% - Business and professional, 6% - Not specified.
Tourist arrival by nationalities	Central Asia – 5,764,500 people, CIS countries- 495,600 tourists, Non-CIS countries- 488,400 people.	Russia – 7,017,657 tourists, Germany – 5,027,475 people, Bulgaria - 2,713,464 arrivals, United Kingdom – 2,562,064 people
The volume of tourism services exports	US$ 1,313,032	US$ 34,52 billion
The total number of accommodation facilities	1,188 units, of which 833 hotels, 214 hostels and 141 other types of similar facilities	More than 200,000 units, of which 175,710 hotels and other types of facilities
Main types of tourism	Cultural tourism, Ethnic Tourism, Adventure tourism, Ecotourism, Health tourism, MICE tourism.	Cultural tourism, Beach tourism, Health and medical tourism, Winter, summer and sport tourism.

Source: Own elaboration (based on UNWTO statistics, 2019)
Statistics of 2019 were taken to compare the potential of both countries. Because in 2020 and 2021 the growth of tourism fell down all over the world and it is difficult to compare. According to the first indicator, in Uzbekistan the main purpose of visitors is to see their relatives and friends from neighbor countries. On the contrary, in Turkey they are travel, entertainment, sports and cultural reasons.
According to statistics, 6,748.500 tourists visited Uzbekistan in 2019, while in 2018 the indicator was 5,346.200 people, showing an increase by 26.2%. The largest number of tourists came from the Central Asian region – 5,764. 500 people. 495,600 tourists came from the CIS countries. The number of visitors from non-CIS countries amounted to 488,400 people.
Most tourists came from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, the Russian Federation, Turkey, Afghanistan, China, the Republic of Korea and India. Of these, 81.8% arrived in Uzbekistan to visit their relatives and friends, and 15.5% came for leisure. The proportion of those who came for other reasons, including treatment, shopping, business and study, amounted to 2.7%. At the end of 2019, the volume of tourism services exports amounted
to 1,313.032 USD (1,041.089 USD in 2018), showing an increase by 26.1%. The total number of accommodation facilities reached 1,188, including 833 hotels, 214 hostels and 141 other types of facilities. The number of accommodation facilities with the hotel room capacity in 2019 reached 26,147. The number of tour operators in 2019 reached 1,482, against 983 in 2018.
Turkey attracted a record number of visitors with 51.9 million people in 2019, according to official data. Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on Jan. 31 announced that the country welcomed 51.9 million visitors last year, a rise of 13.7 percent from the previous year. TÜİK data showed that 86.2 percent of visitors were foreigners and the remaining 13.8 percent were Turkish citizens residing overseas. The Culture and Tourism Ministry also announced that foreigner visits to Turkey surged 14.1 percent on an annual basis, surpassing 45 million last year. Istanbul, the country's world-famous touristic city, was the top arriving destination with nearly 15 million tourists, accounting for 33 percent of all foreign visitors in 2019. The Mediterranean resort city of Antalya followed it with 14.65 million foreign visitors last year. The third top arriving destination was the northwestern province of Edirne, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece, welcoming some 4.3 million foreigners. As for the nationalities of foreign visitors, Russia took first place with 15.6 percent -- some 7 million visitors -- over the same period, followed by Germany (11.2 percent or 5 million) and Bulgaria (6 percent or 2.7 million).

CHAPTER IV