Kapadokya University signed an important cooperation agreement within the scope of the international “Grape Sayli Festival” (Uzum Sayli) held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Assoc. Dr. participated in the event as a guest of the festival. Halil Burak Sakal, as the Director of the Cappadocia University Social and Strategic Studies Application and Research Center (SSÇM), gave a presentation on sustainable tourism, international collaborations, and the development of tourism in Uzbekistan.
In this context, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Tashkent Governorate, MDIS Tashkent, and Cappadocia University SSÇM for the preparation of a province-based Tourism and Services Sector Master Plan covering the period 2026–2030. The plan aims to support regional development and create a sustainable tourism infrastructure, focusing particularly on the districts of Parkent, Bostanlik, Angren, and Ohangaron.
Growth in Tourism in Uzbekistan
Significant progress has been made in tourism in Uzbekistan in recent years:
- The country, which hosted 6.7 million tourists in 2019, reached 10.2 million visitors in 2024.
- Tourism revenue, which was $2.14 billion in 2023, increased to approximately $3.5 billion in 2024.
- In the first five months of 2025, 4.2 million tourists entered the country, which represents a 48.2% annual increase. It shows an increase.
During the same period, Tashkent International Airport served 8.7 million passengers, while Samarkand Airport hosted 1.38 million passengers, a 37% increase.
Scope of Cooperation and Objectives
The signed memorandum of understanding includes the following basic steps:
- Establishment of a joint expert group,
- Field research and data collection in districts,
- To increase local capacity Organizing training and seminars,
- Application for grant funding for Master Plan studies,
- Preparation of a comprehensive strategic document for the 2026–2030 period.
This collaboration aims to guide Uzbekistan’s growing tourism sector with a strategic, sustainable, and science-based approach. This initiative, to which Cappadocia University contributes its knowledge and experience, forms the basis of a strong and long-term academic and sectoral cooperation between the two countries.
