BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 28
By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:
Uzbekistan develops a number of measures to support its tourism industry, Trend reports with reference to presidential press service.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was acquainted with projects in tourism sector on May 27, the report said.
Coronavirus pandemic had negative impact on tourism industry worldwide; according to the forecast of the World Tourism Organization, by the end of 2020, international tourist trips will decline by 89 percent, 74 million jobs will be cut, and total losses in the industry will amount to $800 billion.
Uzbekistan has been closed to foreign and local tourists from March 16, 2020. As a result, over 1,500 tour operators and 1,200 hotels have suspended their activities.
To mitigate the impact of the pandemic, a number of preferences have been granted to the tourism industry. In particular, 1,750 entities have been granted property, land and social tax benefits worth about 60 billion soum ($5.9 million).
A system of sanitary-epidemiological safety for tourists “Uzbekistan. Safe travel guaranteed” has been developed.
As reported, the president gave instructions to organize recreation centers in the mountainous areas and on the lake coast using light structures. The location of the recreation centers will be determined and the relevant data will be posted on an electronic portal.
During the second stage, it is planned to prepare a list of countries with a stable coronavirus situation and gradually restore tourist links with them.
The head of state stressed the need to provide additional benefits and preferences to this sector, as entrepreneurs in the tourism sector, who suffered losses due to the pandemic, are unlikely to be able to cover them in the next one-two years.
In particular, the previously granted privileges including exemption from payment of tourist fees will be extended until the end of the year. The industry enterprises will also be allowed to deduct losses incurred in the period from 2020 through 2021 from the profit of the following years.
Hotels will be provided with subsidies in the amount of 10 percent of the cost of their services. In addition, they will be subsidized up to 10 percent of payments on loans allocated to working capital.
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