About Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan and Spain discuss opportunities of strengthening cooperation in the tourism field
24 April 2023
Uzbekistan and Spain discuss opportunities of strengthening cooperation in the tourism field

The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Spain hosted a "round table" dedicated to the tourism potential of Uzbekistan. The event was organized as part of the campaign "Samarkand - the tourist gates of New Uzbekistan".

The round table drew the attention of the participants to the large-scale reforms implemented in recent years to further develop the tourism industry in Uzbekistan. They spoke about the conditions created for foreign tourists visiting Uzbekistan, and the work being done to increase the flow of tourists traveling to Uzbekistan. A visa-free regime for citizens of most countries of the world was highlighted as one of the significant measures taken towards attracting more travelers to visit Uzbekistan without going through the hassle of paperwork.

It was also emphasized that the system of electronic visas to enter Uzbekistan has been introduced, the hotel infrastructure has been modernized, and all conditions have been created for a comfortable stay and the safety of tourists traveling to Uzbekistan. The development of the multi-profile international tourist center "The Great Silk Road", serving 2 million tourists a year in the Samarkand region was also accomplished in order to increase the comfort of foreign tourists taking a trip to Uzbekistan. The historical and ethnographic park "Eternal City" is also a part of the Great Silk Road Tourist Complex and includes a Congress Hall, 8 modern five-star hotels, an amphitheater and many other facilities in its territory.

It was also noted that as a result of the reconstruction of the Samarkand International Airport and the establishment of the "Open Sky" regime, conditions have been created for increasing the flow of tourists from abroad traveling to Samarkand. Presentations and video materials on the tourism potential, rich history and culture of Uzbekistan were also presented to the participants of the round table meeting.

During the event, the parties discussed the possibilities and prospects of increasing the number of Spanish tourists visiting Uzbekistan and developing tour packages that include new tourist services, taking into account their requirements.

President of the Ibero-American Union of Tourism Professionals Maria Carmen Rouco Fernandez said: "Uzbekistan today is one of the most attractive tourist destinations among Spanish tourists. This country has great potential for further development of the tourism sector. The government of Uzbekistan is making effective reforms in the right direction to ensure an increase in the flow of tourists. Undoubtedly, Uzbekistan will become one of the most visited countries in the world”.

Julián Fuentes Lopez-Pastor, vice-president of the Ibero-American Union of Tourism Professionals, said that thanks to the interesting event, he got to know Uzbekistan better. The presentation gave a lot of interesting information about Uzbekistan, which has beautiful landscapes, rich history, culture and Uzbek cuisine, where ancient traditions are also preserved.

According to the secretary of the Ibero-American Union of Tourism Professionals Manuel Paz Rodriguez, Uzbekistan, "the heart of the Great Silk Road", is a country with a rich historical and cultural heritage. Providing public safety and individual attention to each tourist is a solid basis for the further development of the tourism sector, in which Spain can share its experience, he said.

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Did you know?

Uzbekistan is one of only two countries in the world to be ‘double landlocked’ (landlocked and totally surrounded by other landlocked countries). Liechtenstein is double landlocked by 2 countries whilst Uzbekistan is surrounded by 5!

Did you know that Uzbekistan lies in the very heart of Eurasia, the coordinates for Uzbekistan are 41.0000° N, 69.0000°

Uzbekistan is home to the Muruntan gold mine, one of the largest open pit gold mines in the world! The country has 4th largest reserves of gold in the world after South Africa, USA and Russia

Uzbekistan is the world capital of melons. They have in excess of 150 different varieties, which form a staple part of the local diet, served fresh in the summer and eaten dried through the winter.

It is Uzbek tradition that the most respected guest be seated farthest from the house’s entrance.

Tashkent’s metro features chandeliers, marble pillars and ceilings, granite, and engraved metal. It has been called one of the most beautiful train stations in the world.

The Uzbek master chef is able to cook in just one caldron enough plov to serve a thousand men.

When you are a host to someone, it is your duty to fill their cups with for the whole time they are with you.  What you must not do, however, is to fill their cup more than half-full.  If you do that as a mistake, say it is a mistake immediately.  Doing it means you want them to leave.  Wow!  Amazing, right?

To Uzbeks, respect means a whole lot.  For this reason they love it if, even as foreigners, you endeavour to add the respectful suffix opa after a woman's name; and aka after a man's.  Example: Linda-opa and David-aka.  You could also use hon and jon respectively.

Having been an historic crossroads for centuries as part of various ancient empires, Uzbekistan’s food is very eclectic. It has its roots in Iranian, Arab, Indian, Russian and Chinese cuisine.

Though identified with the Persia, the Zoroastrism probably originated in Bactria or Sogdiana. Many distinguished scholars share an opinion that Zoroastrianism had originated in the ancient Khorezm. Indeed, today in the world there were found 63 Zoroastrian monuments, including those in Iran, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thirty-eight of them are in Uzbekistan, whereas 17 of these monuments are located in Khorezm.

One of Islam's most sacred relics - the world's oldest Koran that was compiled in Medina by Othman, the third caliph or Muslim leader, is kept in Tashkent. It was completed in the year 651, only 19 years after Muhammad's death. 

Tashkent is the only megapolis in the world where public transport is totally comprised of Mercedes buses. And due to low urban air polution it is one of the few cities where one can still see the stars in the sky.

You would be surprised to know that modern TV was born in Tashkent. No joke! The picture of moving objects was transmitted by radio first time in the world in Tashkent on 26 of July 1928 by inventors B.P. Grabovsky and I.F. Belansky.

Uzbekistan is the only country in the world all of whose neighbours have their names ending in STAN. This is also the only country in Central Asia that borders all of the countries of this region

Uzbeks are the third populous Turkik ethnicity in the world after Turks and Azeris (leaving both in Azerbaijan and Iran)

Did you know that there was silk money in Khiva? Super interesting right? Of course, but the best part of having silk money was that it could be sewn into your clothing.

Famous Islamic physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna in the Latin world) who was born near Bukhara was the one of the first people to advocate using women’s hair as suture material – about 1400 years ago.

Uzbekistan has a long and bloody history. The most notorious leader of Uzbekistan was Timur (or Tamerlane) who claimed descent from Genghis Khan. His military campaigns have been credited for wiping out some 5% of the world’s population at the time.

If you have thought that some of the Islamic architecture in Uzbekistan resembles that from Northern India, then that is because Timur’s great great great Grandson, Babur Beg, was the founder of the Moghul Empire that ruled much of India for almost four centuries! Babur’s great great Grandson was Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal.

Uzbekistan was once a rum producig country. There is still a real arboretum in Denau (city near Termez on the border with Afghanistan), grown from a selection station that studied the prospects of plant growing in the unusual for the Soviet Union subtropical climate of Surkhandarya region: only here in the whole of the USSR sugar cane was grown and even rum was produced!

Uzbekistan has been ranked one of the safest countries in the world, according to a new global poll. The annual Gallup Global Law and Order asked if people felt safe walking at night and whether they had been victims of crime. The survey placed Uzbekistan 5th out of 135 countries, while the UK was 21st and the US 35th. Top five safest countries:

  • Singapore
  • Norway
  • Iceland
  • Finland
  • Uzbekistan
Exchange rates
100 RUR
13540.3 UZS
100 USD
1297193.37 UZS
100 EUR
1343134.25 UZS
100 GBP
1607222.94 UZS
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