CNN TRAVEL named 5 reasons why Uzbekistan is worth to visit in 2020

2995

Uzbekistan has long been unknown to many Westerners, and is now ready to become a top travel destination in 2020, - wrote CNN Travel.

Culturally and historically rich, this attractive country, along with the rest of Central Asia, was named “Number 1” tourist destination in 2020 by Lonely Planet due to its accessibility and visa-free travel. Thanks to the significant reforms in the country that have been intensified during the last year, “The Economist” magazine called the country as a top tourist destination in 2019.

According to CNN Travel, the following 5 reasons contributed to our recognition and attractiveness:

Visa-free

The upcoming year will be the best time to visit Uzbekistan in the first place because of its new visa reforms.

Recently, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev initiated the large-scale reforms aimed at making the country an attractive destination for travelers.

The reforms include a 30-day visa-free period for visitors from 85 countries; and a simplified electronic visa system for citizens of 77 countries, including United States that were also added to the list, according to the portal export.gov, which is managed by the US Department of Commerce.

Security

According to CNN Travel, travelers should still take precautions when traveling to Uzbekistan.

The US State Department warns US citizens that the threat of terrorist attacks or localized civil unrest still exists.

However, despite this, “Uzbek authorities maintain a high level of vigilance and sufficient security measures to prevent terrorist attacks, and official rates of violence against foreigners are very low”, the State Department said in the statement.

Despite all this, the number of foreign visitors to Uzbekistan increased from 1.9 million in 2014 to 6.4 million in 2018, stated the US Department of Commerce.

Untouched history

Perhaps the most attractive quality of Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region is its untouched and sacred history, which has been preserved for thousands of years.

From the huge and majestic architectural monuments, ancient mosques and minarets of Samarkand and Bukhara to the snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan, Uzbekistan is a region of carelessness and quiet relaxation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3j6PcChKcf/?utm_source=ig_embed

Social media attention

Recently, the main sights of Uzbekistan and the experience of Western travelers who share their impressions and photos about Uzbekistan have been exposed to the lens of world social platforms.

The hashtags #VisitUzbekistan, #VisitTashkent, #VisitSamarkand and #TravelCentralAsia are distributed and popularized in the global network

National cuisine

Uzbek cuisine can be described as delicious and satisfying with a wide variety of dishes. The most popular dish in Uzbekistan is Uzbek pilaf. This main national dish is prepared from rice, meat and carrots.

Well-known food bloggers, such as Mark Vines, specially visit our country to taste authentic national food and share their taste with the whole world.