Read at Tourism Road Show “Uzbekistan: Where History Meets the Future” and the Uzbekistan Tourism Excellence Awards 2026 in Islamabad on 31 Aug 2026 | in the presence of Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, Advisor & National Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Tourism,Aftab Ur Rehman Rana, Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, Country Director Uzbekistan Airlines Mr. Munir and Head of Agents at Centrum Airlines Mr. Adil Mirza, the tourism ambassador Mr. Hamid Mehboob and tour operators of Pakistan.
Alisher Tukhtaev
Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan
For Uzbekistan and Pakistan, tourism is much more than travelling from one country to another.It is a journey through our shared history, our common cultural roots and the centuries-old connections between our peoples.
For centuries, the lands of present Uzbekistan and Pakistan were connected through the Silk Road — through trade, scholarship, religion, art and culture. Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva were connected with Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and other great cities of the region as parts of one wider civilizational space.
Perhaps the most powerful symbol of this historic connection is Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur — born in Andijan and later the founder of the Baburid Empire in the subcontinent. His legacy belongs to Uzbekistan, but at the same time occupies a very special place in the history, culture and collective memory of Pakistan.
Our common spiritual heritage is equally profound. The names of Imam al-Bukhari, Imam al-Tirmizi, Imam al-Maturidi, Abu Ali ibn Sina, al-Biruni and many other great scholars associated with the lands of Uzbekistan are deeply respected in Pakistan and throughout the Muslim world.
Therefore, when a Pakistani visitors travel to Uzbekistan, they do not simply discover a new destination. In many respects, it is a journey back to the sources of a shared civilization.
Today, Uzbekistan is combining this extraordinary historical heritage with a rapidly developing and increasingly modern tourism industry.
Over the past several years, tourism has become one of the important drivers of Uzbekistan’s economic and social transformation. Major reforms have been undertaken to simplify travel procedures, improve connectivity, develop tourism infrastructure, expand accommodation capacity and diversify tourism products. And these efforts are producing impressive results.
In 2025, Uzbekistan welcomed around 12 million foreign tourists, a national record, while during the 7 months of 2026 alone, around 8 million foreign visitors arrived in our country.
Uzbekistan today offers much more than traditional sightseeing.
Uzbekistan is developing cultural and historical, Ziyarat, gastronomic, ecological, mountain and winter, wellness, educational and MICE tourism.
And I would particularly like to highlight the opportunities that Uzbekistan offers for our Pakistani business community. Today, modern MICE infrastructure (the physical facilities, digital networks, and specialized services required to host Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) is developing not only in Tashkent and Samarkand, but across the country.
Tashkent offers modern hotels, conference and congress facilities and an excellent environment for international conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings and business events.
Samarkand, with the Silk Road Samarkand complex, has emerged as one of Central Asia’s leading international MICE destinations, combining modern hotels and congress facilities with cultural attractions and the unique Eternal City.
Bukhara offers the unique combination of a historic environment and modern facilities for conferences and corporate events. In Khiva and the Khorezm region, new tourism infrastructure is developing alongside the extraordinary heritage of Ichan-Kala. The Arda Khiva complex represents another attractive example of how business events can be combined with culture, history and an unforgettable travel experience.
Imagine holding a conference in Tashkent, followed by a cultural programme in Samarkand; organising an incentive trip through Bukhara and Khiva; or combining a business event in the Khorezm region with an exclusive cultural experience at Arda Khiva.
This is where business, culture and leisure meet — and this is precisely where Uzbekistan offers something truly distinctive.
Another important development is the modernization of domestic transportation.
This year, in addition to already operating “Afrosiyob” high speed train, Uzbekistan introduced the new “Jaloliddin Manguberdi” high-speed train, manufactured by Hyundai Rotem in Korea, on the Tashkent–Khiva route.
The approximately 1,022-kilometre journey can now be completed in around 7 hours and 30 minutes, compared with approximately 14 hours previously. In other words, the travel time has been reduced almost by half.
For tourists, this means greater comfort and more efficient use of their time. For our tourism businesses, it creates new opportunities to design attractive multi-destination packages covering Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
Enormous potential of Ziyarat tourism.
Uzbekistan is home to some of the most important sites associated with Islamic scholarship and civilization. The renovated Imam al-Bukhari complex near Samarkand has become a major spiritual, educational and pilgrimage centre.
And in Tashkent, we have recently completed the Center of Islamic Civilization — a monumental scientific, cultural and educational complex dedicated to the history and development of Islamic civilization. In April this year, the Center was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the “Largest Museum of Islamic Civilization” in the world.
For Pakistani visitors with a deep interest in Islamic history, scholarship and spiritual heritage, we believe that these destinations can become an important part of new Ziyarat and cultural tourism packages. All these developments are taking place within the broader context of our rapidly strengthening bilateral relations.
Under the leadership of President of Uzbekistan H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Pakistan H.E. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, our relations have reached a new and dynamic stage, with the two countries elevating their relations to the level of strategic partnership.
Tourism is an important and very human dimension of this strategic partnership.
Partnership between Centrum Airlines and Gerry’s Group to Promote UZ PK Connectivity
Uzbekistan is genuinely interested in expanding tourism cooperation with Pakistan and increasing two-way tourist flows.
We have already taken a number of practical steps in this direction. Since 2024, visa procedures for Pakistani citizens have been simplified. Over the past two years, Uzbekistan Airways and Centrum Air have established 6 direct and regular air connections between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, creating much better opportunities for tourists and tourism businesses.
And we are continuing to work on improving connectivity. From 2 September, Centrum Air will launch 2 direct flights on the Tashkent–Karachi–Tashkent route. We believe this new connection will make travel more convenient for Pakistani visitors and create significant new opportunities for tourism companies on both sides.
At the same time, connectivity must go hand in hand with promotion and stronger cooperation between our tourism businesses.
In 2025, Uzbekistan organized more than 20 road shows and promotional events in major cities of Pakistan, conducted television and outdoor advertising campaigns, and organized information tours for Pakistani tourism companies.
As a result of these efforts, nearly 20,000 Pakistani tourists visited Uzbekistan in 2025.
But I firmly believe that we can achieve much more.
Our objective should not simply be to increase the number of visitors. We should create new tourism products, new routes, longer stays, better packages and stronger business-to-business partnerships.
The Embassy of Uzbekistan holds Concert at PNCA Islamabad Marking 35th Anniversary of Independence
And this is precisely why today’s event is so important. The Uzbekistan Tourism Excellence Awards 2026 provide an opportunity to recognize and thank our partners who are actively contributing to promoting Uzbekistan as a tourism destination.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the tourism companies, travel agencies, information centres and airlines being recognized today for their valuable contribution to Uzbekistan–Pakistan tourism cooperation.
The programme includes awards for leading tourism companies, Tourism Brand Ambassador of Uzbekistan, airlines and etc. The title of today’s event — “Where History Meets the Future” — reflects what Uzbekistan is all about.
We are a country where a history stretching back thousands of years meets modern infrastructure, new technologies, new tourism products and new opportunities.
And I believe that our relationship with Pakistan can follow the same path: a shared past, a strong present, and an even more connected future.
Let us therefore work together to make travel between our countries easier, more accessible and more attractive.
Let us develop new Ziyarat and cultural packages, expand MICE and business tourism, strengthen B2B cooperation and jointly promote Uzbekistan and Pakistan as destinations for each other’s people.
Because tourism can accomplish something that no agreement alone can accomplish: it brings people together.
I am confident that tourism can become one of the most visible and successful dimensions of our strategic partnership.
Once again, I warmly welcome you all and thank you for being with us today.
Long live the friendship between Uzbekistan and Pakistan!
Uzbekistan–Pakistan dosti hamesha zindabad!
