The Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The nomination of Omonkhona village in the Baysun district of Surkhandarya region, submitted by the Tourism Committee for this competition, was recognized as one of the winners and included in the project’s Upgrade Programme. This marks another achievement for Uzbekistan’s tourism sector on the international stage.

Omonkhona village, located in the mountainous area of the Baysun district, Surkhandarya region, is famous for its natural landscapes, healing springs, historical monuments, intangible cultural heritage, and hospitable population. In recent years, tourism infrastructure in the region has been gradually developing, and a tourism center is being built in the village to create better conditions for visitors. In 2024, Omonkhona was granted the status of a tourism village of Uzbekistan.

Inclusion of Omonkhona in this programme represents not only international recognition but also the successful outcome of Uzbekistan’s consistent policy of sustainable rural development and the creation of new tourist centers.

Villages with high tourism potential are included in the Tourism "Tourism Upgrade Programme" on a competitive basis. The programme aims to further enhance the village’s potential and promote it to tourists through professional support, training programmes, and technical consultations. It provides opportunities for collaboration and experience exchange with other countries through strategic roadmaps for tourism infrastructure development prepared by Tourism experts, training and consultations with international experts, improvement of local management, service quality, and marketing systems based on international experience, and inclusion in the Best Tourism Villages Network.

Reference: The UN Tourism “Best Tourism Villages” competition has been held since 2021. This status is awarded to villages that excel in ecotourism and agritourism, preserve cultural and natural values, organic food products, and traditional lifestyles, and are recognized as the best tourism villages worldwide.

In 2023, this recognition was awarded to Sentob village in the Navoiy region.