Nearly 6 million citizens of Uzbekistan traveled abroad for tourism purposes during the first nine months of the year. According to data released by the National Statistics Committee, the total volume reached 5.9 million people, showing a modest increase of 132,700 travelers compared to the same period in the previous year, despite ongoing economic hurdles affecting household expenditures.

Regional neighbors accounted for the vast majority of all outbound trips, driven largely by geographic proximity and simplified border crossings. Kyrgyzstan emerged as the top destination, drawing 2.7 million visitors from Uzbekistan over the nine-month period. Kazakhstan followed in second place with 1.06 million trips, while Tajikistan secured the third spot with 983,700 travelers.

In contrast, traditional long-haul or alternative destinations recorded significantly lower figures. Russia accounted for 281,600 tourists from Uzbekistan, whereas Turkey received 239,300 visitors. Meanwhile, religious and pilgrimage tourism remained prominent, with Saudi Arabia welcoming over 209,000 travelers and the United Arab Emirates attracting approximately 64,800 citizens.

The top ten list of destination countries was rounded out by China, Egypt, and Vietnam, which recorded 58,500, 45,600, and 36,300 visitors from Uzbekistan respectively. Analysts point out that outbound travel patterns continue to reflect economic realities, with the vast majority opting for neighboring countries due to lower travel costs.

Source: podrobno.uz