Uzbekistan has hosted an international summit on ecotourism and sustainable tourism for the first time, marking another major step in the country’s efforts to position itself as a global destination for environmentally responsible travel.

The event, organized by Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee, the International Ecotourism Society and TGS Travel, brought together around 100 leading tour operators, tourism company representatives and industry experts from more than 20 countries, UzA reports.

Previous editions of the summit were held in Türkiye, Egypt, Vietnam and Tanzania, highlighting Uzbekistan’s growing recognition as an emerging destination in the global sustainable tourism sector.

During the forum, participants explored Uzbekistan’s tourism potential and the reforms transforming the industry. Discussions focused on sustainable resource management, international cooperation and expanding partnerships with key markets in North America and Europe.

The business program also included business-to-business (B2B) meetings, which resulted in new agreements between tourism companies from Uzbekistan, Canada, the UK and other European countries to develop joint tourism projects.

Uzbekistan’s tourism sector has expanded rapidly in recent years. According to UN Tourism, the country is among the world’s seven fastest-growing destinations for international tourism. More than 8 million foreign visitors have traveled to Uzbekistan since the beginning of the year, with tourists staying in the country for an average of up to eight days.

The government is also stepping up support for tourism infrastructure. Entrepreneurs can access concessional loans for hotel construction with ten-year terms at 16% interest, while subsidies for building three- to five-star hotels have been extended for another two years.

Preferential land and property tax rates for hotels will remain in force until 2030, while services provided by tour operators to foreign visitors are classified as exports and exempt from VAT. Customs incentives for importing tourist buses, electric buses and minibuses have also been extended for another year.