Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A round table was held in the capital of Latvia, Riga, devoted to the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, as well as a discussion of the prospects for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in this area. It was attended by Uzbek diplomats, as well as representatives of the Latvian tourism industry, Dunyo news agency reported.

The participants were familiarized with the latest innovations in the legislation of Uzbekistan, in particular, introduction of visa free regime for 45 countries from 1 February 2019, including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The Latvian side was also provided with information on measures taken in the republic to improve the tourism infrastructure and increase the level of services provided.

The meeting participants highly appreciated the steps taken in our country to further liberalize the visa regime with foreign partners, stressing the historical nature of these changes.

The plans for cooperation for the current year were discussed, including joint presentations, round tables, and mutual participation in major tourism forums held in two countries.

The Executive Director of the Latvian Association of Travel Agencies and Operators (ALTA), Astrida Trupovniece, in her speech noted that today new prospects are opening up for expanding cooperation in the field of tourism between Uzbekistan and Latvia. According to her, despite the high competition in the tourist market of the Baltic States, Uzbekistan can take its rightful place and attract the attention of tourists from this region. For this, the republic has all the possibilities and huge potential.

During the meeting with ALTA, an agreement was reached on the organization of additional negotiations in B2B format with Uzbek tourism companies within the upcoming international exhibition fair Balttour 2019, which will be held in Riga on 1-3 February 2019.

The head of the travel company 365 Brīvdienas, Liena Paure, noted that the introduction of a visa-free regime by Uzbekistan for Latvian citizens would make it easier for tourists to plan a trip to the country.

“We see that today in Uzbekistan, tourism is developing at an accelerated pace, the country is striving to attract as many guests as possible to show them all the richness of the historical and cultural heritage of the Uzbek people,” she said.