The Need for Greater Diversification of Tourism Products in the Samarkand Region of Uzbekistan

Shukhrat Rakhmonov () and Ian Patterson ()
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Shukhrat Rakhmonov: Silk Road International University of Tourism, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Ian Patterson: Silk Road International University of Tourism, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Journal of Tourismology, 2021, vol. 7-, issue 1, 73-99

Abstract: Before the Covid pandemic, Samarkand, Uzbekistan was seen as an emerging, exotic tourist destination. This is because of the growing interest in its historical importance and cultural history which wasstrongly linked with the Great Silk Road. Thisregion wasincluded in a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the name of “Samarkand-Crossroads of Cultures”, and was attracting more foreign tourists each year because of its rich history, magnificent architecture, authentic culture and Islamic buildings. However, with the advent ofthe Covid pandemic,the tourism industry collapsed because its borders were closed to international tourists for a large part of 2020. Only recently, new measures have been implemented to attract international tourists and to make the Samarkand region the tourism hub of Uzbekistan once again. This study used a qualitative research design that involved interviewing 10 tourist operators to determine their opinions about the need for greater diversification of new tourism destinations, assessing their potential and determining the need for the further expansion of tourism development. As a result, several new niche tourism markets were identified that should be developed in order to appeal to different special interest segments of international and domestic tourists.

Keywords: tourism potential, tourist destination, tourism product diversification, niche tourism, special interest tourists; Samarkand Uzbekistan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ist:iupjot:v:7:y:2021:i::p:241-264

DOI: 10.26650/jot.2021.7.2.1007707

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