Uzbekistan and Serbia open new prospects for cooperation in tourism
Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Serbia in the field of tourism is gradually reaching a new level. Although bilateral tourism ties are still at an early stage of development, the two countries have significant potential for expanding mutual tourism, jointly promoting tourism products and exchanging experience in promising areas of the industry.
Uzbekistan and Serbia boast rich historical and cultural heritage, distinctive traditions and diverse tourism resources. For Serbia, particular interest lies in its historical and cultural centers of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac and Subotica, as well as the Zlatibor natural and recreational area. Uzbekistan, in turn, offers unique monuments of the Great Silk Road, the ancient cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Shahrisabz, as well as broad opportunities for the development of cultural, gastronomic, pilgrimage, ecotourism and other types of tourism.
An important step in strengthening bilateral cooperation was the signing, on October 28, 2025, of the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Serbia on cooperation in the field of tourism.
The agreement provides a framework for expanding cooperation between relevant government authorities, tourism organizations and business representatives of the two countries. Promising areas include the exchange of experience, promotion of tourism potential, development of tourism products, attraction of investment and expansion of tourist exchanges.
Another factor contributing to the growth of mutual travel is the visa-free entry regime for Serbian citizens traveling to Uzbekistan, which has been in effect since 2019.
Serbia has significant potential for tourism development. Tourism plays a notable role in the Serbian economy. In 2024, the country's tourism-related foreign exchange revenues amounted to approximately €2.5 billion, increasing to around €2.9 billion in 2025.
In 2024, the gross value added generated by Serbia's tourism sector amounted to approximately €1.8 billion, or 2.1 percent of the country's GDP. Meanwhile, around 113,600 people were employed in the tourism sector in 2025, accounting for 4.9 percent of total employment.
These figures demonstrate Serbia's considerable experience in developing its tourism industry and offer valuable opportunities for practical experience-sharing with Uzbekistan.
Film tourism is regarded as a promising area for promoting tourism potential. Hosting the production of foreign films and television series in Uzbekistan and Serbia could enhance the international visibility of tourism destinations, attract new categories of travelers and encourage joint projects between representatives of the creative industries of the two countries.
Alongside film tourism, promising areas for experience-sharing include wine, gastronomic and medical tourism. Uzbekistan is particularly interested in Serbia's experience in developing gastronomic and wine routes, while Serbia could benefit from Uzbekistan's rich culinary traditions, historical and cultural heritage, and opportunities in medical and wellness tourism.
One of the priorities for further cooperation could be to intensify joint information and marketing activities. In particular, familiarization tours for Serbian journalists, travel bloggers, tour operators and tourism industry representatives could be highly effective.
Such visits would provide an opportunity to introduce representatives of the Serbian market directly to the tourism opportunities of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and other regions of Uzbekistan, while also facilitating the development of new itineraries and tourism packages.
Serbia's regular participation in the Tashkent International Tourism Fair “Tourism on the Silk Road” could also play an important role in promotion. The participation of Serbian tour operators, hotel companies and specialized organizations would help expand professional contacts, facilitate B2B meetings and provide a direct platform for presenting Serbia's tourism potential to the Uzbek market.
Improving transport connectivity is one of the key conditions for further growth in tourist exchanges. In this regard, a promising area of cooperation is exploring the possibility of establishing regular direct air service between Tashkent and Belgrade.
Regular business missions, B2B meetings, thematic seminars and familiarization tours would help establish sustainable links between tour operators and other tourism market participants.
Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Serbia in tourism has strong prospects for further development. The existing legal framework, growing tourist flows, the visa-free regime and expanding professional contacts are creating the necessary conditions for moving toward larger-scale joint initiatives.
Looking ahead, the development of direct air connectivity, joint promotion of tourism opportunities, exchange of expertise in specialized tourism segments and the creation of joint tourism routes could become important areas for strengthening tourism ties between the two countries and advancing bilateral tourist exchanges to a new level.
ORIENT
