Uzbekistan approves a new Tourism Development Program for 2026–2028

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed off on a new Tourism Development Program running from 2026 to 2028, according to reporting by Trend and Uzbek media outlets. The programme is designed to expand Uzbekistan’s accommodation base, attract fresh private investment into hospitality and support innovative tourism businesses across the country.

At the heart of the plan is the release of 5,000 hectares of land specifically for building hotels, guesthouses and other visitor facilities. Commercial banks will offer long-term financing for these projects, with more substantial credit lines directed at flagship destinations and specialised tourism zones, and lighter financing arrangements available in less-developed regions. The Cabinet of Ministers, meanwhile, has approved a separate mechanism under which up to 10 promising tourism startups can each receive as much as 1 billion soums a year in state subsidies, covering up to half of their project costs, as reported by Kun.uz.

The programme also introduces incentives that directly reward quality. A $1 million annual award pool will be shared each year among hotels that achieve the highest guest ratings on major international review platforms. To draw travellers into lesser-known corners of the country, tourist fee waivers are being introduced for accommodation businesses in less-populated districts.

For visitors — and for tour operators like Dolphin Travel who put together itineraries across Uzbekistan — the direction is clear: more rooms in more places, better standards in city hotels, and stronger reasons to venture beyond Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara into regions that reward the curious traveller.