Over the first six months of this year, more than 490,000 foreign tourists have visited Tajikistan, which is nearly a third more than in the same period last year, according to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan.
Overall, about 630,000 foreign nationals have visited Tajikistan over the same six-month period, which is 34 percent more than in January-June last year.
The largest flow of foreigners to the country over the first six months of this year has reportedly been observed from Uzbekistan – 413,000 people, Russia – 151,000, Kazakhstan – 15,500, China – 8,600, Turkiye – 5,300, the United States – 4,300, Iran – 2,700, and Afghanistan – 2,400.
Over the same six-month period, more than 1.6 million Tajikistan nationals have left the country, which is 40 percent more than in the same period last year.
There have been 240 tourist companies operating in Tajikistan as of April 1 this year.
185 hotels now operate in the country, including five 5-star hotels, twenty 4-star hotels, fourteen 3-star hotels, two 2-star hotels, as well as one first class hotel and 140 zero degree hotels.
Besides, 27 hostels and motels, 52santoriums, five children’s sanatoriums and camps, seven health resorts, six rest houses, one camping and three tourist centers now operate in the country.
Tourism is considered one of the sectors, which are hoped to promote further development of the national economy. However, tourism receipts-to-GDP ratio remains very low. Due to the coronavirus pandemic this ratio fell in 2019 to 0.3 percent, and in 2021, it rose 1.3 percent.
It is to be noted that the tourism industry is an economic sector among those most severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
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. 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.
