The tourism section appeared in the monthly report of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan on the socioeconomic situation in Tajikistan in June this year but now it has gone.
The reason for removing the tourism section from the report is unknown.
Recall, the Agency for Statistics reported in July this year that 604,200 foreign citizens have visited Tajikistan over the first six months of this year, which was 14.1 percent more than in the same period last year.
The number of foreign citizens arrived in Tajikistan from the CIS nations over the report period was 556,800, which was 92.2 percent of the overall number of foreigners who visited the country in January-June, 2019.
Only 47,400 nationals of other countries have visited Tajikistan over the same six-month period (7.8 percent of the overall number of foreigners who visited Tajikistan in January-June this year).
Over the report period, the overwhelming majority of foreign citizens – 524,800 people – have visited Tajikistan on personal business and only 23,700 (3.9 percent) of them have visited Tajikistan for tourism purposes.
Meanwhile, Numon Abdughafforzoda, the head of the Tourism Development Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in May this year that more than 215,000 foreign tourists have visited Tajikistan over the first three months of this year.
According to the statistical data from the Tourism Development Agency, 1.155 million foreign tourists visited Tajikistan last year, which was 2.6 times more than in 2017.
Tajikistan’s rich cultural heritage, hospitality and abundance of mountain snow peaks, rivers, lakes and recreational opportunities contribute to the development of country’s tourism industry. In 2018, Tajik Government announced a year of tourism development.
On January 3, 2019, President Emomali Rahmon on January 3 signed a decree on declaring 2019-2021 the Period of Development of Rural Areas, Tourism and Folk Crafts in Tajikistan.
The decree aims at speeding up the development of rural areas, tourism and supporting folk crafts in the country.
The tourism sector is considered a priority for the development of Tajikistan’s economy. At the same time, undeveloped infrastructure and low levels of quality of services delay the growth of the tourism industry.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of Travel and Tourism to Tajikistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) is forecasted to rise by 3.9% from 2018-2028 to US$316.5 million or 2.5 per cent of total GDP in 2028. The total contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP is forecasted to rise by 4.4% to US$883.1 million or 6.9 per cent to GDP in 2028. Travel and Tourism investment is expected to rise 6.2 per cent in next ten years to 2028, reaching US$165.7 million.
