Solving tourism sector problems transparently and promptly

Solving tourism sector problems transparently and promptly

Those familiar with tourism know that the main problems of modern tourism, including in Uzbekistan, are linked to many factors that are currently making the industry extremely unstable. And these problem areas require rapid intervention and solutions. In order to get an update on these problems and to look for optimal solutions, representatives of the Association of private tourism agencies of Uzbekistan (APTA) met with the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports Abdulaziz Akkulov.

The APTO representatives raised the following questions and problems:

- The Decree of the Council of Ministers N ° 433 of July 10th 2020 is dedicated to the new admission requirements for tour operators. The pandemic had a negative impact on the tourism industry and the flow of tourists decreased significantly. In this context, the APTA representatives suggested that consideration be given to deferring payments to the "Tourism Security" fund of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

- APTA submits a proposal to change the procedure for foreign visitors to the Republic of Uzbekistan during the coronavirus pandemic and timely updates of information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

- APTA proposes the temporary cancellation of zero VAT for service exporters.

- APTA proposes to standardize the amount of the tourist tax.

- APTA suggests allowing minibuses and buses to enter the Tashkent region (Khodjikent, Chimgan, Charvak, Amirsoy, etc.).

- APTA proposes resuming Uzbekistan Airways flights to Europe (Paris, Milan) from 2022.

In the course of the meeting, further topics and problems and their solutions were discussed.
In particular, it was proposed to introduce a fixed rate for the tourist tax and to stop making tourist accommodation responsible for its withholding. In most countries, the tourist tax and similar charges are used to maintain the tourist infrastructure and to advertise tourist products. All guests in the country use the tourist infrastructure equally, regardless of their social origin and living standard. It is therefore recommended that the responsibility for collecting the tourist tax by hotels and other accommodation providers be transferred to the place and time of entry into Uzbekistan.

Dear colleagues, we will stay tuned to all topics raised during the event. We will immediately inform the members of our association about the progress.