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In order to accelerate the recovery and formation of new directions for the development of the tourism sector after the stabilization of the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the country, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a decree dated June 19, 2020 No. 4755 “On additional measures for the development of the tourism sector in strict compliance with the requirements of an enhanced sanitary and epidemiological safety regime. ":

According to the Decree, business entities are provided with additional benefits and preferences. Including:

1. In the period from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023, accommodation facilities shall be refunded 50 percent of the amount of the tourist (hotel) tax charged for the category of accommodation facilities at the end of the corresponding year, provided that the category assigned to the hotel is preserved in the prescribed manner;

2. Part of the costs of investors aimed at the construction and equipping of new passenger cable cars (the first 50 projects), taking into account the provision of an appropriate level of safety, is compensated in the amount of 1 billion soums for every 500 meters of the road, subject to their commissioning by December 31, 2023 and the length in one direction is not less than 500 meters of the road;

3. Part of the costs of business entities for the construction of accommodation facilities from pre-fabricated structures (yurts, containers, sandwich panels) on the territory of tourist zones and rural areas according to standard projects of the State Committee for Tourism and the Ministry of Construction is compensated in the amount of up to 5 million soums for each bed, up to reaching 50 thousand beds for this type of accommodation facility or by December 31, 2023;

4. Services of a guide (guide-translator), tour guide and instructors-guides are included in the list of activities (works, services) that can be engaged in self-employed persons;

5.From July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023, the rates of income tax, property tax, land tax and turnover tax for the main activity of non-state (private) museums, art galleries and handicraft centers are reduced by 50 percent of the established rates.

6. Allow, as an exception, tour operators registered in the Bukhara, Navoi and Surkhandarya regions to pay a customs duty of 50 percent of the current rate when importing off-road vehicles with an engine capacity of at least 2.4 liters to provide services in these regions with payment of the remainder within 3 years from the date of import.

In order to ensure the sanitary and hygienic safety of local and foreign tourists during their travels during a pandemic, in order to increase the flow of foreign tourists and promote the security of the republic from a pandemic, the introduction of the sanitary and epidemiological security system “Uzbekistan. Safe travel GUARANTEED ”(“ Uzbekistan. Safe travel GUARANTEED ”).

According to this system:

1. The system “Uzbekistan. Safe travel GUARANTEED "must be implemented in the facilities for serving foreign tourists;

2. During the quarantine period, services provided to foreign tourists by tour operators who are residents of the Republic of Uzbekistan are organized only in tourist and related infrastructure facilities included in the Register of Safe Objects of the Uzbekistan. Safe travel GUARANTEED ”.

3. A Safe Tourism Fund will be established.

4. In case of infection of foreign tourists with coronavirus infection (COVID-19) during the travel through the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, organized by a tour operator, a resident of the Republic of Uzbekistan in compliance with the requirements of the system “Uzbekistan. SafetravelGUARANTEED ”, compensation payments in the amount of 3 thousand US dollars will be paid from the Safe Tourism Fund.

5. Costs of economic entities included in the Register of Safe Objects of the “Uzbekistan. SafetravelGUARANTEED ", until December 31, 2020 for the organization of the sanitary and epidemiological service to carry out anti-epidemiological preventive measures aimed at disinfection, disinsection, deratization, as well as the prevention and reduction of the level of infectious diseases in buildings and structures of tourist and related infrastructure are compensated at the expense of funds, allocated from the State budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

6. Officials guilty of violating the conditions and requirements of the “Uzbekistan. Safe travel GUARANTEED ", are held liable in the manner prescribed by law.

In addition, the President of Uzbekistan has created a number of opportunities to create conditions for tourists visiting the country, as well as to develop tourism and related infrastructure. Including:

1.From August 1, 2020, at the international airports "Andijan", "Bukhara" and "Urgench" in accordance with the norms of international law, the "Open Skies" regime is introduced, which provides for the abolition of restrictions on the number of flights and directions, as well as the provision of fifth degree to foreign airlines "Freedom of the air".

2. Foreign

airlines can operate regular flights to international airports in which the Open Skies regime has been introduced, regardless of the existence of intergovernmental agreements on air services, subject to their compliance with the international standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on flight safety and security based on the results of the audit relevant documents of the airline.

3. For a period of three years, for foreign airlines flying to international airports of the country with the "Open Skies" mode, tariffs and charges are applied at the level established for airlines - residents of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

4. The Andijan International Airport will be named after Zakhiriddin Muhammad Babur. The State Committee for Tourism Development and the Ministry of Transport were instructed to announce a public competition within two months to determine the best names for the country's regional international airports.

5. It was instructed to create and develop a tourist zone on the territory of the Aydar-Arnasay system of lakes, which provides for the development of water recreation and beach tourism in the new tourist zone "Orom Qirgogi" ("Leisure Coast"), the development of engineering and communication networks, regular bus service and the development of tourist and related infrastructure with the involvement of business entities.

6. Measures will be taken to create all-season, winter and summer recreation areas in the Zaamin district with the involvement of domestic and foreign investors.

7. The project "Clean & Eco" will be implemented, which provides for an increase in the size of fines for waste disposal in the wrong places on the territory of cultural heritage sites of the republic, the introduction of "green" technologies in the power supply system, waste disposal, efficient use of water resources.

8. A program for the development of medical tourism "Uzbekistan-hope and healing land" will be developed, which provides for the systematization and expansion of the types of medical services provided to citizens of foreign countries.

9. From January 1, 2021, at the international checkpoints "Gishtkuprik" (Tashkent region) and "Hairaton" (Surkhandarya region), within the framework of the existing infrastructure, mechanisms of accelerated border crossing - the "Fasttrack" service, will be introduced, providing for the creation of:

a separate corridor for the implementation of passport and customs control procedures for individuals crossing the State Border of the Republic of Uzbekistan in vehicles, out of turn in an accelerated manner;

VIP-halls with the creation of conditions for recreation and leisure of individuals, including the organization of rooms for mothers and children, food outlets, branches of commercial banks and the installation of ATMs for currency exchange;

Fast Track services are provided on a paid basis, including with the creation of an opportunity for prepayment for services 90 days before crossing the border or through mobile applications.

10. Based on the positive experience of foreign countries, mechanisms will be introduced to collect fees for entering the country's tourist zones by vehicles (except for public and special transport, as well as vehicles of the population living in the tourist zones).

Source: uzbektourism.uz