- Uzbekistan records 9.1m international arrivals in first eight months of 2026
- Arrivals increase 21.1pc year-on-year
- Tourism service exports climb 53.5pc to $4.6bn
- Average visitor spend reaches $503
- High-speed rail links and hotel expansion support growth
International arrivals to Uzbekistan have risen 21.1pc in the first eight months of 2026 to 9.1m, according to the country’s Tourism Committee. Tourism service exports climbed 53.5pc to $4.6bn (€3.98bn). Visitors are staying longer, averaging eight days, and spending more, with average spend reaching $503 (€436). Growth is strongest from long-haul markets such as China, Malaysia and Japan, while travellers increasingly explore regions beyond Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. New high-speed rail links and expanded hotel capacity are supporting the trend.
Average spending per tourist has climbed from $197 (€171) in 2017 to $503 (€436), with average stays holding steady at eight days. Under development roadmaps, the nation aims to attract 20m annual visitors and reach a 7pc GDP contribution from tourism by 2030. Travelers are increasingly visiting the Fergana Valley, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya and the Karakalpakstan locations of Muynak and Nukus.
The high-speed Jaloliddin Manguberdi train service launched in May 2026, reducing travel times between Tashkent and Khiva from 14 hours to roughly seven and a half hours. Between January and July 2026, 705 new lodging facilities opened, adding over 22,000 beds.
