Uzbekistan's Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Bakhtiyor Ibragimov, stated that the tourism industry is becoming a key economic driver and an effective tool for integration in the region. In 2025, a record 2.6 million Kazakhstani tourists visited Uzbekistan, with high intensity of reciprocal visits also maintained.
The most visited attraction is the Center of Islamic Civilization in Tashkent. During an official visit, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, together with leaders of Central Asian states, toured this complex, which is positioned as one of the region's key intellectual and cultural spaces.
The head of state emphasized that the Center of Islamic Civilization serves not only Uzbekistan but the entire Central Asia. It is a common spiritual and scientific space uniting the civilizational heritage of the region's peoples—Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and others.
In a broader context, tourism is seen as a strategic development direction. Within the framework of economic diplomacy, the President of Uzbekistan identified three priorities: export, investment, and tourism. Thus, the tourism industry is becoming not just a service sector but a full-fledged economic driver.
Pilgrimage tourism holds a special place. In Uzbekistan, this includes the Imam Bukhari complex in Samarkand and the 'Seven Pirs' in Bukhara; in Kazakhstan, the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan. Many pilgrims from Uzbekistan intentionally include Turkistan in their itineraries.
The 'Golden Ring' project, uniting Samarkand, Bukhara, and Turkistan, continues to develop. The network of flights is expanding, border checkpoints are being modernized, and railway infrastructure, including high-speed 'Afrosiyob' trains, is improving.
The modernization of the 'Gishtkuprik' and 'Zhibek Zholy' checkpoints, as well as the launch of new transport routes, are expected to significantly ease the movement of tourists and pilgrims across the region.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev remarked, 'If you imagine an educated and mature person, they have definitely seen Tashkent.' This underscores that a trip to the neighboring capital has become a matter not only of leisure but also of cultural sophistication.
Source: podrobno.uz