The historic Itchan-Kala complex in Khiva is set to become the world’s first immersive smart museum-city, under a presidential decree by Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Other tourism initiatives include the creation of a «Samarkand Heritage Route». Tashkent will also promote modernist monuments for UNESCO World Heritage status and aim for recognition as the city with the highest number of mosaics.
A new deputy chair position will be introduced at the Committee for Tourism Product Promotion, responsible for overseeing the National PR Centre and international offices. These offices will open in several countries to promote Uzbek tourism abroad.
The committee has been tasked with proposing ways to expand the visa-free regime, simplify entry procedures, and develop tourism transport logistics. By 2026, a new tourism development strategy through 2040 will be drafted, alongside a marketing strategy until 2030 focusing on promoting Uzbekistan’s tourism products internationally.
Authorities also plan to attract global clothing brands to shopping centres and build outlet centres in a national architectural style. By 2030, these centres will appear in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, with expansion planned for other tourist cities thereafter.
Kursiv also reports that Uzbekistan will launch a Unified Tourism Platform and mobile application from July 1, 2026.
