Tourist report how people travel in uzbekistan
Tourist operation volumes
As is generally known, the specificity of trade in commodities is somewhat different from that of trade in services. Services can be defined as “products”, which differ from tangible goods. These encompass transport, communication, construction, insurance, financial, computer and information services, as well as advertising, accounting, management consultancy etc. The base, on which their value is determined, is the market price agreed upon by the counterparts when arranging a deal. Tourism stipulates the rendering of services by providers of such services. It is accepted to distinguish between export and import items in international tourism. It should be observed in this context that in tourism, it is not the commodity that is delivered to the buyer. Quite the contrary, it is the service user that comes to a country to consume its product.
Service exports, thus, include expenses spent by visitors, who arrive in a country (other than his own country of residence) to recreate, to do business, to pursue their private objects etc. There may be other purposes behind a tourist’s intention to visit one or another destination. Tourist imports imply the amount of consumer expenses associated with the departure of a citizen outside his own country of residence with various ends in view for a term not exceeding a year. According to official statistics, in 2004, the tourist service import-export ratio was as follows: US $1 : US $21.2. In 2005, the ratio reached US $1 : US $23.8 (up 112 per cent from the 2004 indicator). However, when compiling a growth dynamic diagram, it can be noticed that the export and import of tourist services dropped by 14.7 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively, with the balance decreasing by 14.3. In that way, the past two years have seen some negative changes in the Republic’s hospitality industry.
Experts, however, do not regard it as a tendency having an adverse impact on the sector, since this line of activity is subject to the influence of a combination of external and internal factors. This rule applies to all countries without exception. As a rule, these factors include:
- an unfavorable political situation (home and regional conflicts between governments and guerrillas, interstate clashes, introduction of economic and military sanctions, terrorism etc.);
- changes in the social environment (xenophobia, crime, fear of destruction of moral principles, traditions, loss of language and ethnic identity);
- deterioration of economic conditions for development (tax and customs policy, a legal framework for economic activity and business, banking and insurance restrictions and the like);
- technogenic catastrophes and natural calamities (including tsunami, earthquake, landslip, cold weather, accidents at nuclear power stations, oil-refining enterprises and chemical warehouses, ruptures of gas pipelines, ecological disasters etc.).
None of these factors is of static character. Changes taking place throughout the globe may contribute to the improvement or impairment of the situation in separate countries. As experts used to joke, tourists vote by their legs: if they dislike something in one or another destination, they introduce amendments in their travel routes.
At the present time, competition for tourist markets is rather fierce worldwide, as evidenced by an increasingly active participation of different countries in a variety of international tourist fairs. This is particularly true of the fairs staged in Berlin, London, Milan and Madrid. Experts emphasize one more tendency in the global tourist industry: more and more world tour operators start penetrating regional and local markets, where their heavy-weight status can easily exclude small and medium-sized companies from their niches, as was the case in Moscow, the Baltic states, Novosibirsk, Azerbaijan, China etc. This forces national tourist firms to intensify cooperation within the sector and to diversify the range of tourist products, creating new, while trying their best to cut expenses in a move to keep afloat, owing to price differentiation at least. Of course, sometimes the latter measure leads to dumping, a phenomenon denounced in the civilized system of market relationships.
Inbound tourism in Uzbekistan
In world practices, inbound tourism is considered to include trips accomplished within a country in the space of a year. In keeping with the estimates presented by Yury Tsoy, who heads the Travelers’ Association, Rabat Malik, the proportion of such journeys varies from 70 per cent to 90 per cent of the total amount of inter-district and inter-province trips. What is interesting to note is that their number tends to swell in late spring, early summer and in autumn. The means of transport, to which inbound tourists show preference, are railway and motor vehicles as most affordable in price terms.
The inbound tourists prefer destinations, which characterize a region’s ethnographic, historical, cultural and natural peculiarities and potentialities most vividly. Among their preferable routes are also those, whose district image has been well promoted and advertised. Another important factor is the availability of corresponding infrastructure (including hotels, restaurants, transport communications, exchange offices, rest and recreation facilities etc.). It is, probably, for this reason that not al regions may boast enviable tourist numbers, notwithstanding the fact that many unique architectural, cultural and religious monuments are located there, not to mention unique natural and recreation areas.
From Table, one can conclude that foreign tourists are hardly willing to visit the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the Andijan Province of Uzbekistan. But such a conclusion is incorrect. Tourist firms and tour operators organize their trips to these regions, although these visits exclude spending the night in hotels or tourist centers. That’s why they are not included in local statistics on tourism. But the fact that they do take place can be certified by the number of tickets to theatre, cinema, exhibitions etc. sold there.
Experts opine that such a posture of affairs can be explained by the fact that the level of local infrastructure development leaves much to be desired. As a consequence, tourists, who have stumped a round sum for their trip to such destinations, are offered a modicum of services. For this reason, tour operators prefer to use these regions only as transit destinations.
It can be seen, at the same time, that the share of foreigners in the total volume of inbound tourism reached 50.7 per cent, meaning that practically a half of travelers arrive from abroad to use national tourist products. The greatest number of foreign visitors was recorded in Tashkent (50.1 per cent), Bukhara Province (19.1 per cent), Samarkand Province (15.4 per cent), Khorezm Province (8.94 per cent) and Surkandarya Province ( 3.88 per cent). It turns out that of all the tourists visiting the Navoi Province, 94.8 per cent were foreign citizens. In other provinces, the situation looks as follows: Bukhara – 73.9 per cent, Samarkand – 51.7 per cent, Surkhandarya – 84.2 per cent, and Khorezm – 50.1 per cent.
The statistics, thus, helps reveal the following tendencies:
- there are well-established tourist routes, which have been functioning within decades. Enjoying an attractive international image, they remain in popular demand (Tashkent – Samarkand – Bukhara – Khiva). In 2004, they accounted for 93.6 per cent of all trips;
- there are several specialized destinations, notably, Termez, Karshi and Navoi, which are visited by foreign tourists with certain purposes (archeology, ethnography, nature etc.). For now, these narrow-profile tourist products are not generally sought after;
- some regions, including the Ferghana Valley, Syrdareya and Djizak Provinces, are used only as transit regions, since their promotion requires far heavier investments than the promotion of already famous destinations. What’s more, tour operators sometimes recommend them not to mass consumers, but to individuals pursuing such specific objects as hunting, gastronomy, ecology, folklore and so on.
Foreign visits to the Republic
Analyzing the tendencies indicated in table, one can infer that the number of those visiting the Republic of Uzbekistan as tourists is rather small. What is meant is, most likely, is organized tourism, i.e. tourists, whose arrival in the country is organized by tour operators. Meanwhile, a significant percentage of people come as private visitors (on the invitation of their friends, relatives, colleagues etc.). They are also regarded as tourists, although they do not fully realize this status. That is why inbound tourism volumes are larger by far, compared with relevant customs statistics. For instance, in 2005, 27 people arrived in Uzbekistan from Vietnam on the invitation of private persons (of 37 officially registered); Greece – 122 (181); Sweden – 32 (62); SAR – 39 (42) and New Zealand – 24 (79).
In addition, some of those who visit the Republic on an official journey or for business purposes, consume the services offered by tourist agencies: they order excursions, go hunting and visit national parks, museums, theatres, sports clubs and restaurants. In that way, they also can be viewed as contributors to the tourist sector, and their share of such contribution should be mirrored in the hospitality industry’s statistics. In 2005, for example, Uzbekistan was visited with business purposes by 26 citizens of Bangladesh (31), Israel – 618 (699), Denmark – 177 (187), Latvia – 22 (63), Lithuania – 46 (87), Malaysia – 127 (133), Poland – 104 (140), Singapore – 10 (14), Slovenia – 5 (11), Tailand – 19 (22), Finland – 58 (68), the Czech Republic – 57 (86) and Taiwan – 99 (122).
It should be pointed out that these figures are far from reflecting the full incidence of tourists, because it is economic agents, transporting material and financial values across the customs border, that are registered in the main.
The following figures are worth mentioning as well: in 2004, 145 people arrived in Uzbekistan from Belgium (in 2005, their number grew to 200); Australia – 251 and 477, correspondingly; Austria - 473 and 734; Denmark – 130 and 187; India – 353 and 368; Canada – 128 and 177; the Netherlands – 186 and 369; the United Arab Emirates – 123 and 139; Pakistan – 105 and 167. All these figures are indicative of an increase in foreign visitor numbers. Experts warn, however, against drawing hasty conclusions from this upward tendency. The reality is that Uzbekistan comes across a fierce competition in the world tourist markets, where tour operators struggle for each buyer of their tourist products. The chief thing is that to render quality services to the usual number of tourists, while being ready to augment it as far as local infrastructure is diversified and more tangible assistance is provided by the state. What is meant here is, first and foremost, the simplification visa formalities, procedures associated with registration with police authorities, customs declaration, currency exchange and the like, as well as a significant expansion of the scope of air communication with other countries, which represent attractive markets for potential tourists (Spain, Canada, Austria etc.)
Infrastructure: quality of services
By 2006, the stock of rooms available in Uzbek hotels was estimate at 8,300, which could accommodate a total of 17,500 tourists. According to data compiled by an expert Ch. Khusanova, in the period 1999-2003, the number of rooms in hotels grew by 12.6 per cent. At the same time, it should be specified that at the beginning of 2004, there were 166 hotels in the Republic, of which 15 were four-star facilities (international class); 29 – three-star (tourist class), 51 – two-star (budget class), 5 – one-star (student class) and 71 – B&B and old-type hotels. Naturally, the quality of hotel services offered there vary substantially countrywide.
The extent to which both foreign and domestic tourists are satisfied by local tourist infrastructure and the services rendered by the sector’s operators is reflected in a sociological poll conducted by Andre Loinberger, a Swiss expert from CIM, in May 2005 in the Uzbek town of Khiva. 84 respondents taking part in the poll answered a series of questions concerning the tour organization, the quality of local tourist infrastructure facilities and the sights available in the Khorezm Province.
Table shows that a half of all visits to Khiva are accounted for by tourist groups. This testifies to the fact that organized tourism prevails in the region. The majority of those arriving in the Khorezm Province are newcomers. Some one-third of respondents said that information on this tourist destination was obtained from their friends, who had visited the place earlier. More than 50 per cent of respondents indicated that they drew information on the Khiva Province from specialized guides and booklets.
Among the modern conveniences western tourists want to have in the first place, is shower-baths, which is quite understandable. In summer ( a peak of the tourist season), the weather in the region is very hot. Half of them would like to have internet connection to maintain contacts with their native countries.
Additionally, western tourists gave a relatively high assessment of the services offered in private hotels. 67 per cent of tourists noted that during excursions, their guides were very competent, 27 per cent of respondents mentioned the latter’s knowledge and erudition; 31 per cent – the interesting way of presenting information and 19 per cent – considerate towards the needs of tourists. Furthermore, the respondents pointed out that things such as live music (25 per cent), lectures (14 per cent), folk dances (27 per cent), demonstration of cooking techniques (6 per cent), training in crafts (8 per cent), theatrical performances (2 per cent), visits to the theatre (8 per cent) etc., generated the greatest deal of interest.
Asked “What do you think Khiva needs most of all?”, 33 per cent of respondents indicated the improvement of the way in which the region’s tourist potential is advertised; 15 per cent – revival of its magic image; 10 per cent – improved street lighting; 9 per cent – road signs and signboards; 8 per cent – better protection of architectural monuments; 19 per cent – more public conveniences, with about 15 per cent respondents being satisfied with everything. It appeared that 70 per cent of those polled wish to buy syusanes during their walks around the town, 2 per cent – carpets, 1 per cent – antiquities, 10 per cent – ceramics, 4 per cent – gold adornments, 5 per cent – jewelry, 2 per cent – miniature painting etc. At the same time, 43 per cent of respondents expressed their desire to stay longer in Khiva, 5 per cent – to buy slides or films, 6 per cent – to buy a map of Khiva, 7 per cent – to use their credit cards.
According to A. Loinberger, these sociological data will allow local services, armed with the knowledge of the interests and likings of foreign tourists, to ameliorate their activity and to adjust local potentialities to their concrete requirements.
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