Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 21-22 February 2024, Tashkent hosted the VII Forum of Guides of Uzbekistan-2024, dedicated to the World Day of Tourist Guide. It gathered more than 300 participants from different countries, including experienced guides, specialists of the tourist industry, representatives of state authorities, scientific and educational institutions.

The event was organized by the Committee on Tourism under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Research Institute of Tourism Development.

At the opening of the Forum, the head of the Tourism Committee under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan Umid Shadiev, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan Kongratbay Sharipov, the Deputy Mayor of Tashkent for Tourism, Sports, Culture, Cultural Heritage and Mass Communications Fahridin Davrukov and the Vice-Rector of Selcuk University of Turkey Emrulla Eken spoke.

During the event, the chairman of the Tourism Committee Umid Shodiev said: “Our state under the leadership of the leader of the republic makes great efforts to make the tourism sector of the republic bright, give it a strategic vector of economic development. In particular, the visa regime for foreign guests was simplified. Now the number of countries for which the visa regime is simplified has reached 93. Thanks to the reforms in the industry in 2023, about 7 million foreign tourists came to our country. Their average stay increased to 4 days (by 1.3 times). On the initiative of “Travel across Uzbekistan!” 21 million visits of local tourists were organized in the regions (by 20% more).”

The aim of the Forum was to exchange experience and knowledge in the field of excursion activity, to discuss topical issues and prospects of development of one of the important directions of the tourist industry, as well as to strengthen cooperation between Uzbek and foreign partners. Within the framework of the Forum, an International Scientific and Practical Conference “Excursion Activity: Symbiosis of Education, Science and Practice” was held, where prominent scientists, experts and analysts of the tourist industry spoke.