Arrivals of Japanese tourists in Uzbekistan increased by one and a half times

Uzbekistan and Japan held discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector, promoting Uzbekistan's tourism potential in the Japanese market, and increasing the number of visitors from Japan.

According to the news agency Dunyo, the negotiations took place at the Embassy of Uzbekistan with Yuji Hara, Chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) and President of Kaze Travel Co., Ltd.

The parties discussed methods to strengthen ties between the tourism companies of the two countries and promote Uzbek tourism products in Japan. The Japanese side noted the growing interest of travelers in Uzbekistan's historical cities, national culture, and gastronomic heritage.

A familiarization trip organized in Uzbekistan for Japanese travel companies in June 2026 was positively evaluated. Special attention was paid to the international tourism exhibition Tourism EXPO Japan. Participants discussed opportunities to showcase Uzbekistan's tourism products at this event to make the country more attractive to Japanese travelers.

Another topic of discussion was the development of direct air connections between the two states. Both sides emphasized the importance of these links for increasing the flow of tourists from Japan and exchanged views on expanding business contacts between tour operators and sharing professional experience.

Japan remains a promising market for Uzbekistan's tourism industry. According to the data provided, about 32,000 Japanese citizens visited Uzbekistan in 2025. From January to September 2026, this number exceeded 36,000, which is 53.3% more than in the same period in 2025. After the meeting, both sides confirmed their interest in further developing tourism ties and raising awareness among the Japanese public about the travel opportunities in Uzbekistan.

According to data from the National Statistical Committee, between January and September 2026, Uzbekistan received 357,500 foreign citizens for business purposes. This figure exceeds the number for the same period last year by 34,800 people, which is an increase of 10.8%.

The largest number of business visitors came from Afghanistan—323,660 people. Turkmenistan was second in terms of the number of visitors with 24,196 guests, and Tajikistan took third place, attracting 6,412 people.

Visitors from other countries arrived in significantly smaller numbers. Uzbekistan received 695 business guests from Kyrgyzstan, 629 from Kazakhstan, 370 from Russia, and 346 from Turkey. Additionally, 1,150 foreign citizens from other countries also visited Uzbekistan for business purposes.

Thus, Afghan citizens made up the overwhelming majority among foreigners who visited Uzbekistan for business purposes during the first nine months of 2026.