Tourism Sustainability in Uzbekistan: Challenges and Opportunities Along the Silk Road

Mamurbek Karimov, Ravshan Okmullaev, Peter Marty () and Olimjon Saidmamatov ()
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Mamurbek Karimov: Department of Economics, University of Business and Science, Tashkent 100185, Uzbekistan
Ravshan Okmullaev: Department of Human Resources Management, Tashkent State University of Economics, Tashkent 100066, Uzbekistan
Peter Marty: Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
Olimjon Saidmamatov: Faculty of Socio-Economic Sciences, Urgench State University, Urgench 220100, Uzbekistan

Economies, 2025, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: As a dynamic driver of globalization, tourism is a rapidly expanding and highly visible sector in the global economy, playing a substantial role in a country’s GDP. In recent years, scholars and policymakers have placed growing emphasis on integrating economic, cultural, social, and environmental sustainability into tourism practices and planning. In the era of globalization, Uzbekistan must strike a delicate balance between commercial potential and the conservation of its priceless cultural and natural riches as its tourism sector expands. Furthermore, the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva along the Silk Road were chosen as case studies to enhance our comprehension of the correlation between tourism growth and sustainability. This research aims to contribute to sustainable tourism in Uzbekistan through an in-depth analysis using various frameworks, including Glocal RPMs, SANEL HERMES, Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study’s findings indicate a consistent growth and advancement in the tourism industry of Uzbekistan. Nevertheless, several conditions and activities in Uzbekistan are not viable in terms of their impact on the economy, society, ecology, and tourism industry. So, this study recommends that, by applying its findings to the cities, the poor conditions and activities affecting the tourism industry along the Silk Road could be addressed as opportunities for sustainable development.

Keywords: sustainability; tourism; silk road; IPA; SEM; Glocal RPM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E F I J O Q (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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