The International Pilgrimage Tourism Week is dedicated to the scientific and spiritual heritage of such representatives of the Islamic world as Abu Hafs Kabir Bukhari, Sayf al-Din Bakharzi, Abdulkholik Gijduvani, and Bahauddin Naqshband. Bukhara, among the famous seven cities such as Makkah, Madinah, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jerusalem, Baghdad, and Damascus, once again demonstrates itself as a city that has made an invaluable contribution to the glory of Islam.
To ensure the implementation of reforms in the tourism sector, in particular the further development of pilgrimage tourism, practical work is being carried out in Uzbekistan to establish the Golden Ring tourist route, increase air routes between Muslim countries, and build large hotels, tourist centers, and restaurants with the participation of investors.
Bukhara, the pearl of Islamic civilization, will host events and conferences during the International Pilgrimage Tourism Week.
A meeting was held yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the implementation of the decree of the Head of our state “On Measures to Further Develop Domestic and Pilgrimage Tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan” dated February 9, 2021, and the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers “On Additional Measures to Implement the “Umrah Plus” Pilgrimage Tourism Program dated January 9, 2026, as well as to expanding tourist flows from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore to Uzbekistan, reports Dunyo IA.
According to the MFA, the meeting, organized in a hybrid format, was attended by representatives of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Technical Regulation Agency, the khokimiyats of Bukhara and Samarkand regions and Tashkent city, JSC Uzbekistan Airways, JSC Uzbekistan Airports, domestic airlines, the Uzbekistan–Malaysia–Indonesia Travel Association, the Association of Umrah Pilgrimage Travel Agencies, as well as nearly 40 representatives of tourism companies.
Participants discussed in detail transport and logistics, service quality, and promotional measures aimed at increasing tourist arrivals to Uzbekistan from Southeast Asian countries. In particular, they considered increasing the number of flights from Malaysia, launching direct flights from Indonesia and Singapore, intensifying promotional activities for pilgrimage tourism under the “Umrah Plus” program, aligning infrastructure for foreign pilgrims with international halal standards, and strengthening coordination with tourism companies operating in this field.
The event was held in an open dialogue format based on the “problem–proposal–solution” approach, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange constructive views on existing challenges and opportunities in the sector.