Uzbekistan plans to extend visa-free stay for Arab countries to 30 days

During the session, the president emphasized the opportunity to increase tourist flows from the Gulf countries. While this market represents around 3 million travelers, the majority currently prefer destinations like Albania, Croatia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, where visa-free regimes are already in place.

"Yes, we also offer visa-free entry for these countries — but only for 10 days. If we extend it to 30 days, the number of tourists could increase five to six times," Mirziyoyev noted. He also proposed simplifying visa procedures for visitors from India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Iran.

The president highlighted that targeted work with specific regions of Russia and China had significantly boosted tourist arrivals from those countries. He instructed that this successful approach be extended to Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

Expanding international flight routes was identified as a key strategy for attracting more tourists. For instance, the launch of direct flights to Poland led to a sevenfold increase in tourist arrivals from that country and facilitated travel from across Eastern Europe.

Uzbekistan has already purchased 14 Airbus aircraft and leased another 5, and negotiations are underway to acquire 12 more Boeing planes. Relevant agencies have been tasked with evaluating potential routes and tourist inflows based on these aviation capabilities.

In addition, the country aims to attract 100,000 pilgrims from Malaysia and Indonesia under the “Umrah Plus” program. The government is pushing to speed up negotiations to launch flights from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta to Jeddah via Samarkand and Bukhara.

The president also reiterated the need to create a unified national tourism platform. This platform should offer services such as electronic visa issuance and the ability to purchase tickets for all types of transport.