President Mirziyoev issued the Decree on measures that need to be taken to further develop tourism industry in Uzbekistan. The Decree approves the program of high-priority measures for the development of tourism industry in Uzbekistan for 2018 -2019 (the "Program") and establishes the Coordination Council responsible for monitoring and control over implementation of the Program. The Decree provides for personal income tax and unified social payment in respect of salaries of foreign managers.
At the legislative level, the Program provides for adoption of a new Law of Uzbekistan "On tourism" and accession to international conventions in the sphere of tourism. The Program further provides, among others, for (i) creation of large touristic clusters; (ii) attraction of foreign brands through franchise agreements by ensuring free conversion of royalty payments and repatriation of profits; (iii) development of medical, agro, eco, ethnic and domestic tourism; (iv) establishment of fully on-line booking services for air and railway tickets.
The Program lists a number of projects aimed at boosting the tourism industry in the regions of Uzbekistan. Among these projects are (a) creation of "Old Bukhara" touristic zone that provides for construction of modern hotels, entertainment centres, amphitheatre, bowling centre, restaurants, karaoke bars and etc.; (b) creation of "Samarkand City" touristic zone that provides for construction of modern hotels, entertainment centres, amphitheatre, bowling centre, restaurants, karaoke bars and etc.; (c) construction of five recreational zone on the shore of Aydar lake of Djizzak region; (d) construction of Buddhism memorial complex that includes Japanese garden of 1 ha, a hotel in Japanese style, a museum of Kyuzo Kato; (e) construction of a hotel complex in Chimgan mountains.
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