Tourism can further boost Uzbekistan's development - M'sian envoy

TASHKENT, (Uzbekistan) July 6 (Bernama) -- Uzbekistan can count on its tourism industry to not just bring in foreign tourists but also become a platform to further boost the country's development, says Malaysian envoy Abdul Aziz Harun. He noted that because tourism is a rising industry in Uzbekistan, it could extensively promote the country to the world and attract tourists, thus generating national income speedily. "The Malaysian government truly believes that tourism is one of the best ways to generate easy money for any country, and today Uzbekistan continues to develop well in this sector," he told Bernama following a meeting with a Malaysian group comprising travel agents and journalists. The group was on a recent one-week familiarisation trip to Uzbekistan's three main cities, namely Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. Uzbekistan is known for its large ancient cities, its Islamic civilisation that ranged between the 8th and 15th centuries, as well as Islamic intellectuals like Alexander the Great, Imam Al-Bukhari, Imam Al-Tarmizi and Ibn Al Sina. These could easily attract the Muslim population of Malaysia. The Malaysian ambassador to Uzbekistan said that as a majority of Malaysians (some 60 per cent) were Muslims, the opportunity to visit Uzbekistan and understand its Islamic civilisation and history presents a great opportunity. Abdul Aziz pointed out that the historical and architectural designs of every single monument and minaret in the three main cities were something that should not be missed. For those looking to experience skiing and snowboarding, Uzbekistan could also be a chosen destination since this country of more than 27 million people is famous for its mountains -- Beldersay and Chimgan. The Uzbek dry snow is excellent for skiing and the best mountain ski resorts in Central Asia are placed in both mountains. The ambassador, who has been here since 2008, also noted that both Malaysia and Uzbekistan have a lot of similarities in terms of size and population and are also multi-ethnic countries. He said the Malaysian government also commended Uzbekistan's efforts in establishing a strong airline -- Uzbekistan Airways -- that linked the country with over 20 destinations worldwide like New York, Bangkok, Seoul, London, Paris, Geneva, Rome, Milan, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka and Beijing. "As a double landlocked country, such a policy has helped the country in not being isolated, which is highly commendable," he said. Elaborating on Uzbekistan's tourism industry, he said it has become an important means to promote Uzbek culture and suggested that this young country, which became independent from Russia in 1991, implement comprehensive approaches to cooperate between the Uzbek government and the private sector. Uzbekistan could further learn from Malaysia and invite other foreign airlines to establish bases in Tashkent while recognising the importance of taxi drivers in portraying the country's image. These could be done to further enhance customer-friendly services, he said, noting that the initial period following independence witnessed only some 500,000 foreign tourists visiting the nation before the figure jumped to 1.3 million last year. The ambassador said Malaysia was willing to share its experience with Uzbekistan on tourism, adding that it would be possible for Uzbekistan to become one of the world's top-notch tourist destinations some day. -- BERNAMA