The discussion of the most important issues of the country's tourism development was held with the participation of the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Aziz Abdukhakimov.
On the eve in Tashkent, at a meeting of members of the Association of private tourism agencies (APTA) with the leadership of the country's tourism sector, a joint discussion of the introduction of an electronic tourist visa in Uzbekistan, a new procedure for collecting tourist tax was held, and during an open discussion, representatives of tourist organizations of Uzbekistan were able to receive direct answers to their questions.
"The introduction of an electronic tourist visa is a consequence of systematic work to simplify entry formalities and expand the flow of foreign tourists to Uzbekistan, who in a few days they will be able to apply for a visa to our country online," Deputy Prime Minister Aziz Abdukhakimov said in his speech.
According to him, the electronic form for issuing tourist visas will initially work in a test mode to eliminate possible inconsistencies at the initial stage between the participants of the online system.
During the meeting, a joint presentation of the State Committee for Tourism and the State Center for Personalization under the Cabinet of Ministers was held on the specifics of the implementation of the E-VISA.UZ issuance system from July 15 this year. As noted, among the advantages of an e-visa for tourists are a reduction in the time frame and optimization of the cost of a visa, as well as the abolition of the obligatory appeal to diplomatic and consular institutions of Uzbekistan abroad.
It should be noted that this was the first this year and, perhaps, the most representative meeting of the government and the private travel industry in recent years, where the most pressing and long-awaited innovations in the country's tourism industry were freely discussed.
One of such innovations, in particular, was the proposed changes in the procedure for collecting the tourist (hotel) tax on the territory of the republic, the amount of which is proposed to be differentiated depending on the type, size, room rate, "star rating" of hotels and other accommodation facilities.
These issues, as well as the topic of the effectiveness of the targeted use of funds from the tourist collection coming to the Tourism Development Fund, have become the most discussed by the tourist industry. In particular, according to tourism practitioners, an increase in tourist tax may affect the increase in the cost of tours to Uzbekistan without improving the quality of travel services.
The meeting also discussed some provisions of the new Concept on reforming the tax system of Uzbekistan, in particular, the issues of maintaining privileges in the export of tourism services, including exemption from VAT.
On the initiative of Aziz Abdukhakimov, two working groups will be created from among tour operators, the expert community and officials from among tour operators, the expert community and officials to summarize the proposals of the private tourist business to improve the implementation of the e-viza.uz system, the new scale of tourist collection and the targeted use of the Fund's funds. It is in this format of public-private partnership that the APTA will continue its activities in an expanded composition, headed by the new chairman Gulchekhra Israilova, who previously worked as the executive director of this public organization of the country's travel community.
Instead of a conclusion.
Recently, the tourism sector in Uzbekistan is experiencing a kind of renaissance. The sincere interest and desire of the state in the development of the tourism sector as one of the priority sectors of the country's economy has attracted private business. Including the idea of turning Uzbekistan into a tourist Mecca of the region. And not only in a figurative sense. After all, the country has every reason for this, and recently new opportunities have appeared. This is exactly what the head of the State Committee for Tourism, Bakhtiyor Umarov, noted at the end of the meeting, speaking about ziyorat tourism as a promising direction for the tourist business.