Travel abroad is becoming increasingly popular among citizens of Uzbekistan. The National Statistics Committee has published official data on tourist departures made by Uzbeks in the first quarter of 2025. According to this data, more than 1.5 million citizens of Uzbekistan traveled abroad for tourism purposes during this three-month period.
This figure has increased by 256,500 or 20.3 percent compared to the same period last year. Statistics show that citizens' interest in international tourism is consistently growing.
The Committee emphasizes that the geography of travel is expanding, but Central Asian countries remain among the most popular destinations.
The list of countries most frequently visited by citizens of Uzbekistan from January to March is as follows:
- Kyrgyzstan – 631,240;
- Tajikistan – 281,539;
- Kazakhstan – 240,644;
- Saudi Arabia – 112,274;
- Russia – 69,065;
- Turkey – 46,566;
- UAE (United Arab Emirates) – 44,796;
- Egypt – 16,689;
- Thailand – 13,456;
- Vietnam – 9,574;
- Other countries – 53,704.
It is evident that geographical proximity, language, and cultural similarities are key factors contributing to the high level of travel to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.
At the same time, the number of trips to Saudi Arabia is also high—this is mainly related to Umrah pilgrimage, while trips to the UAE, Turkey, Thailand, and Vietnam are primarily for leisure and commercial purposes.
It should be noted that considering global economic and tourism trends, interest in European and Asian countries is also expected to increase in the coming years.
The active interest of the country's citizens in tourism is considered a bright indicator of the rising standard of living in society and the broadening of worldviews. With the development of tourism and an increase in services and air connections that facilitate travel, such figures are expected to grow even further.
