Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The international festival “Uzum Sayli” officially opened on 23 August in Parkent district of Tashkent region.

The event was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Tourism, S. Niyazov, the khokim (governor) of Tashkent Region, Z. Mirzaev, representatives of various organizations and institutions, foreign and local tourists, the media, and the general public.

Due to increased attention to the tourism sector, Tashkent Region has created ample opportunities for the development of agritourism, alongside ecological, pilgrimage, extreme, medical, and gastronomic tourism. Over the past five years, the number of foreign tourists in the region has almost doubled, from 350,000 to 560,000, and the number of local tourists has increased fivefold, from 2 million to 10 million. Of these, 8% are tourists who visited for agritourism.

The festival program includes agricultural fairs, exhibitions of international wine brands, an international conference, and winemaking events.

The cultural part of the festival featured performances by national folklore groups and pop artists, national contests in various categories, exhibitions of handicrafts, national dishes, and clothing, as well as demonstrations of folk customs and traditions.

Participants of the festival include representatives of ministries and departments of Uzbekistan, specialists in winemaking and agritourism, accredited financial and investment institutions in the country, diplomats from embassies and consulates, as well as representatives from more than 30 countries, including Italy, Serbia, Russia, South Korea, Singapore, Belarus, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

It is noteworthy that last year's "Uzum Sayli" international festival was attended by more than 100,000 local and over 1,000 foreign tourists. This year, the festival is expected to attract 150,000 visitors.