Imom Buxoriy xalqaro ilmiy-tadqiqot markazi bukhari.uz
From 2016, the large scale reforms are being carried out in tourism field too together all spheres in Uzbekistan. In particular, visa-free or simplified procedure has been introduced for citizens of many countries. The large scale works were carried out on the propagating the tourism potential of the country and achieved heavy achievement. But, the beginning of coronavirus pandemia influenced negative impact to the activities of this field. For this reason, the enlightening of the history of this field and analyzing them is one of the actual issues in nowadays.
At first, normative – legal documents were accepted for the development of this field. Including, on December 2, 2016, the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan named “About the measures of providing the rapidly developing of the tourism field of the Republic of Uzbekistan” was declared[1]. According to this Decree, tourism was noted as the strategic field of the economy of the country.
During this period, it was allowed to the citizens of a number of countries to become in our country till 30 days with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Again, the procedure of the giving visa was simplified for the many countries’ citizens. Shortly, these measures which carried out began the giving its result. Including, in 2017, if nearly 2 million 700 thousand tourists visited to Uzbekistan, in 2019 these numbers reached to 6,7 million people. Uzbekistan was professed as the best attractive touristic place in more ten authoritative international publications[2]. At the same time, it was intended that the agitation to the world the tourism potential of our country through the different festivals and exhibitions which are held in Uzbekistan. These measures which carried out became important in the acquainting to the world the tourism potential of our country.
But, on March 15, 2020, coronaviris pandemia which was dispersed to the many countries of the world was registered in Uzbekistan too. In the next day, our country was closed for external and internal tourists as the measures against infection. This influenced negatively to the tourism field of our country. Including, more 1,5 thousand touristic operators, 1,2 thousand hotels stopped their activities. This influenced seriously to the incomes of more 250 thousand people which included gids, the representatives of national crafts, shrines and sanatoriums, catering, transportation [3].
The respective measures were carried out by the Government on the foreclosing of such negative situations and the prevention them. Including, on May 28, 2020, the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan was declared named “About the urgent measures relating to the backing the tourism field for reduction the negative influences of coronavirus pandemia”[4]. In this Decree, from June 1, 2020, to reestablish the internal tourism in the regions which are “green” and “yellow” categories in strict compliance with the established sanitary-hygienic norms and requirements which marked, as well as, the starting the activities of related organizations to tourism and others were noted[5].
At the same time, the ways of developing the internal tourism in the country were marked with the Decrees and decisions of the President. Including, in our country, the foreign experiment on reestablishing the internal tourism in the pandemic situation was studied and the implementation its circumstances which are compatible to the republic were implied. At the end of May this year, during the presentation of projects by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of tourism and privatization of state assets, the head of state stressed the need to allow domestic tourism between the “green” regions in the first stage[6]. This, in turn, became important in the works of further backing this branch of the economy in pandemic situation.
International relations were carried out in this too. Including, in videoconference form, the fifths meeting of tourism ministries of the cooperation council of Turkish language states became. During this meeting, the condition of tourism field in pandemic situation, experiments relating to activation the tourism sector of countries which are members in Council, the measures about reestablishing the touristic interchanges between the countries which are members to Turkish Council and different projects and initiatives about the propagating of touristic trends of countries were discussed[7]. These measures became important in the forming the developing strategy of the tourism field in the period coronavirus pandemia.
Even in later times, the works of backing the tourism field in pandemic situation were continued consistently. Including, in 2020, on June 19, the Decision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan named “About the additional measures relating to the developing the tourism field following decidedly to the demands of the regime which activated of sanitary – epidemiological security” was accepted[8]. In this Decision, the additional measures on the backing tourism field in pandemic situation were marked. Including, from 2020 August 1, the restrictions on the amount and direction of flights were cancelled. The implementation of “Open sky” regime which implied the freedom of air in fifth level to foreign aviation companies was marked in Andijan, Bukhara and Urgench international airports which corresponded to the international law norms was marked[9].
At the same time, in the Decision, the respective tasks on the saving the health of tourists who comes to our motherland have been marked. Including, according to this Decision, the implementation of sanitary – epidemiological security system named “Uzbekistan. Safe travel GUARANTEED”, the serving by touristic operators to foreign tourists in quarantine period only organizing in tourism and adjacent infrastructure objects to it which entered to list of the safe objects of this system, as well as, the implementing in mandatory order of this system in objects which is server to tourists and other measures were marked[10].
As well as, according to Decision, the implementing of new practice in Uzbekistan in the first time of the world has been marked. According to it, if the tourists infect the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection during the tour which organized in region of Uzbekistan, the paying amount the 3 thousand dollar USA compensation to tourist which infected the coronavirus infection was implied[11].
In conclusion, in the period of pandemia, the measures of the backing the spheres of economy, particularly, the tourism field and the adaption to new situations its activities were carried out. The Decrees and Decisions of the President were declared in this regard. The directions of the elaboration the tourism in the situation of pandemia were marked in them. Such works which done in Uzbekistan has been praised by the world community. It is absoluteness that, these and other factors will be worthy ground for the development after the pandemia.
