As part of the visit of the delegation of Uzbekistan to Japan, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Aziz Abdukhakimov had a meeting with the Vice President of All Nippon Airlines (ANA) Junichira Miyagawa.
The parties discussed issues of launching direct flights from Japan to the historical cities of Uzbekistan, increasing the flow of Japanese tourists traveling to Uzbekistan, and implementing joint projects in the field of tourism.
The Japanese side was informed about the rich tourism potential of Uzbekistan and the significant reforms carried out in the field of tourism in the country. Such reforms cover measures related to the liberalization of the civil aviation market, the introduction of an open skies regime at the airports of Uzbekistan and benefits in the service sector. The creation of a new modern airport terminal in Samarkand International Airport and the Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Center was also highlighted during the meeting.
The Vice President of All Nippon Airlines noted that Uzbekistan is an attractive country for Japanese tourists. As he mentioned, the interest of Japanese tourists to visit Uzbekistan for tourist sights, history and cultural heritage has increased significantly in recent years.
Uzbekistan Airways had already resumed regular flights for Tashkent - Tokyo – Tashkent route starting August 4 the current year. Now, the countries are discussing organizing direct flights from Japan to the tourist cities of Uzbekistan in cooperation with All Nippon Airlines (ANA) of Japan. Direct flights of All Nippon Airlines are planned to be launched in the direction of Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench cities.
As a result of the negotiations between Uzbekistan and Japan, the parties agreed to hold marketing campaigns to promote the tourism potential of Uzbekistan in Japan with the support of the Japan Travel Agencies Association (JATA). Organizing an info tour to Uzbekistan with the participation of foreign travel companies and media representatives was also agreed upon as a result of the discussions.
As the next step, a visit of the All Nippon Airlines management to Uzbekistan will be organized. The purpose of the visit is to get acquainted with the transport logistics of Uzbekistan, in particular, with the infrastructure of the new airport in Samarkand, and hold negotiations regarding launching direct flights with the heads of relevant organizations in Uzbekistan.
In addition to the above steps, an agreement on organizing the All Nippon Airlines charter program from Tokyo and Osaka to Samarkand was also reached to be implemented in the soonest time as a result of the meeting.
