Uzbekistan plans to attract 6mn tourists annually to the Kashkadarya region by developing ski resorts, ethnotourism centers and adventure tourism projects, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during a meeting on the region’s socio-economic development on October 22.
Since the beginning of 2026, 2.5mn tourists have visited Kashkadarya, including 500,000 visitors to the village of Gelon alone.
The first stage of the Gelon ski resort, being developed in cooperation with Russia’s Tatarstan region, is scheduled to launch in 2027. Authorities also plan to turn the Tatar villages of Taragay in Chirakchi district, Bashir in Kitab district and Yakkabog into ethnotourism centers.
Mountain rivers in the villages of Sayyod and Suvtushar in Shahrisabz district have potential for rafting and sports tourism.
Officials have been instructed to prepare master plans for six villages within a month and launch projects worth $50mn from March 1, 2027.
The region also plans to promote gastronomic tourism through annual spring festivals, including the “Lola and Kebab” festival in Guzor and the “Chiyal Yakhna” (Cold and Tandir Meat) festival in Kokdala.
During the meeting, Mirziyoyev also highlighted the experience of the Advanced Vocational Training College in Karshi, where 32 instructors recently returned from professional development courses in Germany and are now sharing their knowledge with instructors from 57 technical colleges across the region.
The college provides vocational training to 2,500 students in grades 10–11 annually, allowing them to obtain a professional certificate alongside their school diploma. German teachers also provide language and vocational training to 1,500 young people each year.
According to the presidential press service, the first graduates of the project have been offered jobs in Europe with monthly salaries ranging from €3,000 to €5,000.
Authorities have been instructed to develop specific measures to attract schoolchildren from districts to the Advanced Vocational Training College and the 57 technical schools operating under the new teaching methods.