Tuesday, August 13, 2024 Uzbekistan, long celebrated for its rich cultural heritage along the Silk Road, is now on the brink of becoming a prime destination for adventure travel. The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) is playing a crucial role in this transformation, collaborating with local leaders to develop a sustainable adventure tourism infrastructure. In June 2024, representatives from ATTA traveled to Uzbekistan as part of a four-year USAID-funded Business Support Project.
This initial visit aimed to assess the opportunities for sustainable adventure tourism development and was the first step in forging a partnership with the destination. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Gustavo Timo and Russell Walters from ATTA, who are leading this initiative. They shared their insights on Uzbekistan’s tourism landscape and the potential for developing a sustainable adventure travel industry in the region.
Gustavo Timo (GT): Uzbekistan has seen a significant shift in its tourism industry since 2017, when new leadership opened the country to international relations and entrepreneurship. This change has led to a boom in foreign visitors, positioning Uzbekistan as a hub in Central Asia, particularly among the five “Stans.” Russell Walters (RW): Currently, tourism in Uzbekistan is concentrated in the major Silk Road cities like Samarkand, Kiva, and Bukhara, which are well-equipped to cater to cultural tourists.
However, beyond these cities, there is a wealth of .