Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee and Matthias Kende, Belgium’s first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Uzbekistan, discussed tourism cooperation and ways to increase mutual tourist flows, the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan said.
The meeting was held on 22 September. The sides reviewed the current state of bilateral cooperation in tourism and prospects for its further expansion.
The Belgian side proposed exploring ways to improve transport connectivity between Uzbekistan and Belgium, including establishing direct air service between the capitals of the two countries.
The chairman of the Tourism Committee noted that Uzbekistan has government support measures and subsidy mechanisms to encourage foreign airlines to open new routes to the country.
The participants also focused on promoting the tourism potential of both countries and presenting Uzbekistan’s tourism brand in the Belgian and European markets. In this regard, the sides proposed considering Uzbekistan’s participation as the Guest Country at the international Europalia festival in 2029. The festival is held once every two years.
The talks also covered conditions for attracting investment in tourism and hospitality, including existing subsidies and incentives for investors.
The sides additionally discussed training specialists for the tourism and hospitality sectors, developing cooperation between educational institutions and exchanging professional experience.
Representatives of Belgium’s National Tourism Administration were invited to participate in the Tashkent International Tourism Fair (TITF–2026), which will be held on 25–27 November. The fair will also host the opening ceremony for the “2027 International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism,” organized jointly with UN Tourism.
Following the meeting, the sides confirmed their readiness to continue developing mutually beneficial cooperation, expand practical contacts and promote new joint initiatives in tourism.
