Tashkent hosts fourth pilgrimage tourism exhibition

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The fourth International Exhibition "Umra Plus and Pilgrimage Tourism" has taken place in the capital of Uzbekistan. The event was organized by the Tourism Committee in cooperation with the Association of Umra Tourism Organizations.

More than 200 representatives of tourism companies, the hotel business, transport operators, and specialized organizations from Central Asian countries, Türkiye, Russia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia participated in the event.

During the two-day event, participants held B2B negotiations, presented the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, and discussed prospects for expanding international cooperation in pilgrimage tourism.

Sardor Bobokalonov, deputy chairman of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, attended the opening ceremony. In his speech, he noted that the development of pilgrimage tourism remains one of the priority directions of state policy to strengthen the tourism potential of the country.

According to Bobokalonov, holding the exhibition contributed to promoting the national tourism product on the international market, attracting foreign pilgrims, and expanding cooperation with foreign partners.

The exhibition served as a logical continuation of presentations for the "Umra+" project previously held in Türkiye, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It opened new opportunities to promote the program, which includes visiting tourism cities in Uzbekistan.

Special attention during the exhibition was paid to the formation of new "Umra+" routes that combine performing the Umrah pilgrimage with travel through the cities of Uzbekistan.

As part of the business program, participants held B2B meetings and negotiations, which were expected to result in the conclusion of about 100 cooperation agreements. These agreements aim to create new tourism products and strengthen partnership ties between domestic and foreign companies.

A visit to the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan was also organized for foreign participants. Additionally, an agreement was reached to include this site among the main points on pilgrimage routes offered to foreign tourists.

Uzbekistan has consistently strengthened its position as one of the leading centers of pilgrimage tourism in the region. During the first five months of 2026, more than 5.3 million foreign tourists visited the country.

Key markets also demonstrated positive dynamics. Following the results of January–May 2026, the number of tourists from Azerbaijan increased by almost 82 percent, from Malaysia by more than two times, from Indonesia by more than 63 percent, and from Türkiye by nearly 19 percent compared to the same period last year.