Digital platforms become key driver of Uzbekistan tourism growth in Asia

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan continues to actively strengthen its position in the international tourism market by expanding cooperation with major global online platforms.

The latest confirmation of this strategy came from negotiations held on the sidelines of the ITB China international tourism exhibition between the Chairman of the Committee for Tourism of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Akkulov, and Vice President of Trip.com Group, Edison Chen.

Trip.com Group is considered one of the world’s largest online travel service aggregators.

The platform brings together more than 500 million users and cooperates with nearly two million hotels and hundreds of leading airlines worldwide. It is particularly popular in the Chinese and broader Asian tourism markets, making the partnership strategically important for promoting Uzbekistan’s tourism potential.

During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for further expanding cooperation and international promotion of Uzbekistan’s tourism destinations. As a result of the talks, an agreement was signed to actively promote Uzbekistan’s tourism potential not only in China but also in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Tourism industry experts note that expanding Uzbekistan’s presence on Asian digital tourism platforms aligns with global trends in international tourism development.

In the current environment, online services have become one of the main sources of information for travelers, influencing both destination choice and travel planning.

Special attention was given to increasing tourist flows from new Asian markets, implementing joint marketing campaigns and promoting Uzbekistan’s tourism opportunities through international digital platforms.

The sides also highly assessed the results of existing cooperation. According to Trip.com Group, 48,000 airline tickets to cities in Uzbekistan have been sold through the platform, along with 63,000 hotel room bookings and 5,000 travel packages. These figures indicate growing international interest in Uzbekistan and the effectiveness of digital promotion channels.

One of the key areas of cooperation will be the implementation in 2026 of a large-scale advertising campaign “Go Uzbekistan” across Chinese social media platforms Douyin, Weibo and Rednote. The campaign is expected to generate 150 million content views and attract at least 100,000 additional tourists.

Analysts emphasize that promoting tourism potential through popular digital platforms and social networks not only increases country visibility but also shapes a modern international image of Uzbekistan as a safe, dynamic and attractive travel destination.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed promoting not only traditional tourist centers such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent, but also new destinations including Khiva, Karakalpakstan, Surkhandarya region and the Ferghana Valley. This approach aligns with the strategy of diversifying tourism routes and ensuring more balanced regional tourism development.

In addition, the sides considered organizing joint training workshops for the hotel industry and tour operators, developing Uzbekistan’s national tourism platform as a local service partner of Trip.com Group, and exchanging experience in the application of artificial intelligence in travel planning.

Experts note that the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence is becoming one of the key factors in the competitiveness of the modern tourism industry. In this context, cooperation with international IT platforms may accelerate the digital transformation of Uzbekistan’s tourism sector.

Uzbekistan’s participation in ITB China and the development of partnerships with leading global tourism platforms demonstrate the country’s efforts to strengthen its position in the fast-growing Asian market, increase tourism service exports, and expand international humanitarian and economic cooperation.