Background:
Uzbekistan is strategically located on the Silk Road, a network of ancient trading routes linking Europe with China. With the support of the UNDP and UNWTO, the Government of Uzbekistan appointed TDI to prepare a Tourism Master Plan for Uzbekistan. The assignment was a key component in underpinning the Silk Route Cross Border Tourism Initiative.
Project Objectives:
The over-arching objective was to establish an informed tourism policy, a basic tourism infrastructure of international standards, marketing expertise, and trained tourism officers within a one year timeframe. This would enable Uzbekistan to expand its tourism industry in a planned, controlled and sustainable manner, in order to benefit from foreign revenue generation, increased employment, and international exposure. The Silk Route Cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva were considered to be of major historic and cultural importance in the sustainable development of tourism.
Project Activities:
- Assessment of existing product offer (Heritage & cultural assets; Accommodation; Visitor Facilities and services)
- Consultation with public, private and community stakeholders
- Market research to identify market potential and new product development opportunities
- Examination of linkages and ‘product clustering potential’
- Tourism product development recommendations
- Capacity Building/training/human resource development (Including transfer of expertise to tourism officials)
- Organisation and institutional strengthening
- Market positioning and marketing planning
- Tourism strategy formulation
- Demonstration of best practice trough Study tour to Europe for public and private sector representatives
- Implementation framework and action planning
Project Outcome and Impacts:
A key output of the assignment involved transfer of knowledge to Uzbek Tourism Officials during the project and on a subsequent Study Tour to the EU. In accordance with the Tourism Master Plan recommendations, the historic cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are now promoted as ‘flagship’ Uzbekistan destinations on the Silk Route.
Links:
UNWTO - Silk Road in Uzbekistan