BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 15. Uzbekistan and
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) discussed ways to mobilize grant
financing, technical assistance and lending resources to support
the development of 34 tourism master plans across the country’s
regions.
This was reflected in the statement by the Uzbekistan’s Tourism
Committee, following a meeting between representatives of the
Tourism Committee and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) focused on
the development of regional tourism infrastructure, the drafting of
master plans, and the mobilization of international financial
resources.
Meanwhile, J. Turaev, deputy director of the Project Office for
Tourism Infrastructure Development under the Tourism Committee, and
Tatiana Kopelman, an ADB representative, took part in the meeting,
along with other committee officials.
The sides explored opportunities to use ADB grant funding,
technical assistance and lending resources in preparing the
regional master plans.
The plans are scheduled to be developed in 2026–2027 under a
presidential resolution adopted in April 2026. The initiative is
intended to provide a framework for developing tourism
infrastructure and identifying investment opportunities across
Uzbekistan’s regions.
"In addition, 31 tourism projects are planned for implementation
in 2026–2027 based on the principle of "attractive destination —
project — infrastructure — entrepreneur — promotion — tourist","
the statement said.
The meeting also covered the continuation of an ADB technical
assistance project focused on mapping creative and intangible
cultural tourism resources in the Fergana Valley.
The mapping initiative is aimed at identifying cultural and
creative tourism assets that could support the development of new
tourism products and destinations in the region.
The parties expressed readiness to expand international
cooperation in tourism and work together on promising projects,
including infrastructure development, regional planning and the
mobilization of international financial resources.
The discussions come as Uzbekistan seeks to strengthen tourism
infrastructure outside its major established destinations and
develop a broader pipeline of regional tourism projects.
