A group of representatives from the Khorezm tourism department shared the investment potential of their region at the investment forum of the UNWTO Annual Gathering on October 17.
Khorezm boasts one of the largest foreign investment pools for tourism in all of the Uzbekistan regions. The top three investing countries in Khorezm are Turkey, China, and the UK at $121mn, $54mn, and $20mn respectively.
Despite its relatively small size, the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan attracts a large number of tourists, largely due to the historically important city of Khiva which was chosen to be the “Tourism Capital of the Islamic World” for 2024.
Some of the most ambitious developments include a $9mn camping project in Urgench, a $20mn 5-star hotel, and a $4mn indoor aqua park. The Govuk-kul area in Khiva is to be the beneficiary of the majority of the investment as home to the aforementioned hotel and indoor aqua park as well as an oceanarium, golf course, hypermarket, and $2mn winter garden project and 100m tall Ferris wheel.
Sharifa Kurbanova, Head of International Relations, PR and Marketing for Khorezm’s tourism department also added that Asia Development Bank would be investing $100 million for tourism in Khorezm. She was also pleased to announce plans for a digital museum complete with VR tours and digital books.
As sustainability in tourism was a key theme throughout the first two days of the UNWTO event, it remains to be seen whether the Khorezm tourism department is able to achieve these projects in a sustainable way.
Travel writer Nicole Smoot who has worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development in promoting tourism in Central Asia said:
“One of my best memories of Khiva is staying in a local homestay run by a lovely family within the walls of Ichan Kala. Getting to experience the hospitality of the Khorezm region with its vibrant cuisine and culture is something that makes a visit to Khiva extraordinary. That said, as of my last visit it appeared that much of the Ichan Kala’s outskirts were being demolished to create a pathway for electric carts to shuttle tourists around."
“This is one point in sustainability I see that I feel Uzbekistan could do better with. Finding a better intersectionality to accommodate visitors while not destroying inhabited historic areas is key. I fear that local families being expelled from areas and cities such as Khiva may cause these destinations that make Uzbekistan so special to them to lose their charm, a charm that makes visits to these destinations extremely special.”
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