Uzbekistan and Pakistan seek to expand tourism cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan and Pakistan have discussed expanding tourism cooperation, increasing mutual tourist flows and developing new areas of tourism. The talks were held during the second meeting of the Joint Working Group of the two countries on tourism, Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee said.

According to statistics, 18,752 tourists from Pakistan visited Uzbekistan in 2025. From January to July 2026, the country received 13,095 Pakistani citizens. This means that the figure for the first seven months of 2026 reached 70% of the total number of Pakistani tourists recorded for the whole of 2025.

The meeting also addressed the development of direct air links. Six flights a week are currently operated between Uzbekistan and Pakistan: four on the Tashkent-Lahore route and two between Tashkent and Islamabad.

In September, Centrum Air plans to launch a direct Tashkent-Karachi service. Once the route begins operating, the number of regular direct flights between the two countries is expected to increase to eight per week.

Participants proposed expanding cooperation in several areas. In particular, the sides intend to jointly develop pilgrimage, gastronomic, medical, MICE and educational tourism.

The Uzbek side also invited Pakistani tourism companies to participate in the Tashkent International Tourism Fair “Tourism on the Silk Road” (TMTYA-2026). The event will be held in Tashkent from 25 to 27 November 2026.

Following the meeting, the sides continued work to strengthen tourism ties and expand mutual tourist exchanges.