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CBT tourism (Community Based Tourism) is considered one of the growth points for the tourism industry in our country. The tourism business of Uzbekistan, including the CBT tourism segment, has a very significant potential for development. The development of the tourism potential of the hotel business, especially in rural regions of the country, is a necessary component of socio-economic development in the short and long term.

Awareness of the importance of introducing eco-programs in the hospitality industry allows collective accommodation facilities not only to take care of the environment and the rational use of available resources, but also is a powerful tool for economic management. This statement is doubly true for family guest houses located in rural regions of the country. Family guest houses, bringing profit to the owners, perform another important function - they create jobs, thanks to them, young people can stay in their villages instead of rushing to the city.

CBT tourism is one of the sectors of the tourism industry that focuses on the use of natural and other resources of the countryside and its specifics to create an integrated tourism product. This type of tourism is a relatively new phenomenon for the domestic tourism industry. However, rural tourism in Uzbekistan has deep historical roots, and the development of its types and subspecies is quite promising.

An important direction in the development of the country's tourism potential is the development of unique, in terms of filling and serving, tourism products. Increasing the level of knowledge and competencies of owners of family guest houses and other beneficiaries of rural areas involved in this business direction, through trainings, webinars and educational materials based on successful international experience and successful practices.

Taking into account the relevance of this issue, the Association of Private Tourist Organizations of Uzbekistan (ATTO) has developed a project "Development of CBT tourism in Uzbekistan by improving the professional competencies of rural residents", the implementation of which will help to increase the potential of the tourism business in Uzbekistan. The implementation of the project will create conditions for new jobs, for the development of entrepreneurship and the business environment, increasing the income of rural residents, and will also contribute to the professional, creative and personal realization of women in the countryside. It will be implemented in three regions of the country (Bukhara, Jizzakh and Samarkand regions) with high potential for the development of CBT tourism.

The ACTO project application was supported by the USAID's Future Growth Initiative. This USAID project aims to boost economic activity in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Increasing competitiveness among the leading sectors of the economy and industrial companies will create conditions for new jobs, higher incomes, which, in turn, will determine the economic self-sufficiency of the Central Asian region.

About USAID: USAID is a leading international development agency and is a catalyst for achieving sustainable development. USAID works to promote US national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates America's liberality, and contributes to the self-reliance and resilience of beneficiary countries. More information on the website https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional and on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia.