BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 3
By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:
There’s a very positive relationship between the UK and Uzbekistan, particularly in tourism sphere, Tourism Development Consultant to The World Bank and Uzbekistan's official Tourism Ambassador to the UK Sophie Ibbotson told Trend in an interview.
“The UK and Uzbekistan really depend on B2B relationships to expand their tourism partnership.The aviation sector is a key component of this, and as Uzbekistan has loosened its regulations, I hope to see more airlines entering the market. It would be great to see more direct flights from the UK to Uzbekistan, including from regional airports such as Birmingham and Manchester. This would not only be more convenient for those tourists living in the Midlands or north of England and Scotland; the increased competition would bring down the cost of flight tickets, too, and increase the seat capacity in the busy summer months,” Ibbotson said.
According to the tourism ambassador, beyond this, Uzbekistan’s partnerships with UK tour operators are really important.
“UK companies set global trends, so their insight and support is invaluable in developing new products and improving the quality of products and services. And interest from the UK is growing year-on-year. Five years ago, it was only the UK's specialist tour operators who offered Uzbekistan as a tourism destination, but now we see mainstream companies such as TUI Group (Touristik Union International) and SAGA running tours, and they have proven to be hugely popular,” Sophie Ibbotson stated.
Many foreign tour operators are already getting involved with organizations such as the Samarkand Tourism Forum, she added.
Ibbotson also noted the development of The Silk Road International University of Tourism in Samarkand, which building its reputation not only in Uzbekistan, but across the Central Asian region.
“In the future, it will have much more collaboration with universities in the UK, so that both academics and students can share their experience. Lecturers from the UK will come to Samarkand to teach for a semester, and in due course hopefully we can set up an exchange program for students,” Sophie Ibbotson stated.
She added that there are many of opportunities for the UK investors in Uzbekistan, too, and the tourism sector has great potential.
“As an investor, I would prioritize niche projects catering to mid- and high-end tourists, as this market is currently underserved. I’d also look to bring international expertise and market insight, as well as money, as these add significant value and will make any project more likely to succeed,” stated the tourism development consultant to the World Bank.
---
Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini