Uzbekistan Leads Central Asia's Tourism Boom as Region Claims World's Fastest Growth Rate in 2025

A new WTTC report ranks Central Asia first globally in tourism growth, with Uzbekistan generating nearly half of the region's $9.9 billion in visitor exports and topping the rankings as the most popular destination for regional travellers.

UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | Uzbekistan has emerged as the standout performer in Central Asia's tourism sector, leading a regional surge that the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has identified as the fastest-growing in the world in 2025, according to the organisation's Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research 2026 report. The WTTC, which divides the world into 13 major regions for the purposes of its annual research, found that Central Asia ranked first globally across several key tourism performance indicators last year. Within the region, Uzbekistan recorded the strongest results