Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has proposed the creation of a “Central Asia Tourism Ring,” calling on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other partners to develop and co-finance tourism projects across the region.

The proposal was made during a meeting of the ADB Board of Governors. President Mirziyoyev stated that global instability has led millions of tourists to seek safe destinations, highlighting Central Asia’s potential across various tourism sectors. These include pilgrimage, cultural, gastronomic, ethno, extreme, and medical tourism.

Uzbekistan has focused on developing its tourism sector through infrastructure improvements, service enhancements, visa liberalisation, and transport network expansion, alongside ensuring tourist safety. These efforts have contributed to a sixfold increase in foreign tourist arrivals to Uzbekistan over the past decade, reaching 12 million.

New facilities in Uzbekistan, such as the Center for Islamic Civilization in Tashkent and the Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex in Samarkand, are examples of developments. Similar complexes are under construction in neighbouring Central Asian countries. The “Central Asia Tourism Ring” initiative aims to connect these regional assets.

President Mirziyoyev has urged neighbouring countries, the ADB, and other partners to collaborate on forming a portfolio of tourism development projects and securing co-financing for them.

HTN Analysis

This is a high-level political proposal, articulated as an initiative rather than a detailed programme with committed funding or specific medical tourism projects. While medical tourism is mentioned as a potential sector, it is one of several categories, suggesting a broad intent for regional tourism development rather than a focused strategy for medical travel. The proposal aims to integrate various existing and developing tourism assets across Central Asian countries.

What to watch

  • Further announcements detailing specific project portfolios, particularly any with dedicated medical tourism infrastructure or service development.
  • The nature and scale of financial commitments from the ADB and other partners towards this “Tourism Ring” initiative.

The news signal for this article was referred from: https://zamon.uz/en/2026/05/04/president-shavkat-mirziyoyev-proposed-the-creation-of-the-central-asia-tourism-ring