Citizens of Tajikistan made 2.274 million tourist trips to Uzbekistan in January–September 2026, while 983,700 Uzbek citizens travelled to Tajikistan during the same period, according to Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee.
The figures show that the flow of travelers from Tajikistan to Uzbekistan was 2.3 times higher than the reverse flow.
Among foreign visitors to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan ranked third by the number of tourist trips, behind Kyrgyzstan with 2.84 million visits and Kazakhstan with 2.4 million.
At the same time, Tajikistan was among the three most popular foreign destinations for Uzbek travelers. Kyrgyzstan topped the list with 2.72 million trips, followed by Kazakhstan with 1.07 million and Tajikistan with 983,700.
For comparison, 281,600 Uzbek citizens visited Russia, 239,400 travelled to Türkiye, and 209,100 visited Saudi Arabia.
Tourist arrivals in Tajikistan continue to grow
According to the Committee for Tourism Development under the Government of Tajikistan, 1.063 million foreign nationals visited the country in the first half of 2026. Of these, 889,400 were classified as tourists, a 16.7% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
The committee said 806,900 tourists arrived from CIS countries, while another 82,500 came from countries outside the former Soviet Union.
Previously published data from the committee indicate that around 510,400 Uzbek citizens visited Tajikistan during the first six months of the year.
The Tajik data cover the first half of 2026, while the Uzbek statistics cover the first nine months of the year.
More than 4,000 people cross Tursunzoda border daily
At a news conference on the results of the first half of 2026, officials in Tursunzoda said the city shares more than 140 kilometers of border with Uzbekistan, including the Uzun and Sariosiyo districts.
According to local authorities, more than 4,000 people cross the Dousti border checkpoint in both directions every day.
Officials also highlighted active cross-border shopping. They said Uzbek citizens frequently visit Tursunzoda to buy household appliances such as televisions, vacuum cleaners and air conditioners, as well as clothing. Tajik residents, meanwhile, travel to Uzbekistan to purchase seeds, mineral fertilizers, crop protection products, construction materials and metal goods.
The authorities noted that these are primarily private purchases and did not provide estimates of their total value.
Border infrastructure under pressure
Tajikistan’s Committee for Tourism Development acknowledged that growing passenger traffic is putting pressure on some border crossings, whose infrastructure is not designed to handle current volumes.
The agency said an inter-agency working group had inspected several checkpoints together with representatives of other government bodies. Plans to modernize border infrastructure have been discussed with the Ministry of Transport, the Customs Service and other agencies.
Plans to simplify travel
Earlier this year, the tourism authorities of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed a cooperation agreement aimed at expanding tourism between the two countries.
Simplifying border-crossing procedures remains one of the key issues under discussion.
On October 19, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for accelerating the introduction of a system that would allow citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to cross the border using national ID cards instead of passports.
The initiative was discussed alongside measures to expand tourism, strengthen trade and develop joint economic projects. If implemented, the system could make travel between the two neighboring countries easier and further boost cross-border tourism.