The Uzbekistan-China tourism business forum took place at the InterContinental Hotel in Tashkent, as reported by the Committee on Tourism.

The event was dedicated to developing business relations and promoting Uzbekistan's tourism potential in the Chinese market. It was attended by representatives of state authorities, entrepreneurs, investors, top managers of hotel brands, and tour operators.

He Jin, head of the forum-initiating company Hainan Weidu International Travel, estimated that 45,000 tourists from China visited Uzbekistan in 2023. This year, a several-fold increase in visitors is expected.

To boost travel numbers, there are plans to launch direct flights from Uzbekistan to Hainan province in China. From June, flights are intended to be operated weekly, with plans to increase the frequency to three times a week eventually.

The organization of air communication on the Uzbek side will be handled by the tourism company Prestige Travel. Its founder, Oybek Ahmedov, noted that just last year, the firm organized trips to China for 10,000 citizens of Uzbekistan.

The forum discussed the state of the tourism industry and opportunities for collaboration to attract tourists from East Asia. Reportedly, as a result of the event, several agreements and memoranda were signed between the tourism firms of the two countries.

Private airlines Centrum Air and Qanot Sharq discussed launching new flights to China in January. The destinations agreed upon by the parties included Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Hainan.