India among Uzbekistan's most prospective tourism markets; 100,000 visitors expected: Embassy
Abdulaziz Abduganiev
Despite the recent tensions in West Asia, Uzbekistan has witnessed no slowdown in arrivals from India, according to an Embassy official who spoke to T3. The destination welcomed over 12 million international visitors in 2025 and has set an ambitious target of attracting 20 million tourists annually by 2030.
On the sidelines of the SATTE X EY Report Launch event in New Delhi, on July 8, 2026, Abdulaziz Abduganiev, First Secretary at the Embassy of Uzbekistan, Delhi (handling the tourism portfolio), told T3 that India has moved firmly into Tashkent's top-tier source market bracket, with the country crossing 80,000 Indian arrivals in 2025.
“We consider India as one of the very prospective and huge tourism markets for Uzbekistan,” said Abduganiev, adding that the destination expects to cross 100,000 Indian visitors in the coming years, aiming for a 30% increase over the previous year.
The strategy of the country is shifting into a broader, city-by-city push as Uzbekistan tourism is working aggressively to promote the destination across India market through roadshows and workshops. Abduganiev confirmed that in the coming time we will see more special programs for the promotion of Uzbekistan tourism abroad. A number of events across different regions and cities, starting from the capital, New Delhi, and moving to Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore, will be organised by the tourism board. Abduganiev added, “We also intend to organise webinars for tourism industry representatives to explain the possibilities and potential of the tourism market in Uzbekistan.”
On concerns around the wider West Asia crisis denting regional travel sentiment, Abduganiev was categorical: Uzbekistan has seen no dip in Indian traffic. “Instead, we receive more and more tourists from year to year because Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region are very safe and secure,” he said, citing the country’s recognition last year as one of the safest destinations for tourists. In 2025, the country welcomed over 12 million international tourists, and aims to attract around 20 million tourists by 2030.
“More tourists are visiting because we are a good, affordable destination for Indian travellers,” Abduganiev noted, Delhi to Tashkent runs just two-and-a-half hours; Mumbai to Tashkent three-and-a-half. On connectivity, he highlighted Uzbekistan Airways' new Delhi–Namangan route and noted that private carrier Centrum Air has expanded to five weekly flights.
When asked about the SATTE X EY report initiative, Abduganiev said, “We consider events like SATTE a great opportunity to first of all present our country and our tourism potential to the Indian market, but also to the worldwide tourism market. We consider SATTE a very interesting event which opens new opportunities to establish direct contacts between DMCs, companies, and agents, and to explore new destinations for Indian tourists. We are keen to participate in the next SATTE as well with our National Pavilion of Uzbekistan, and we are ready to cooperate with SATTE in the future.”
