• 3 day ago

Central Asia has become the fastest growing tourism region in the world.

By the end of 2025, Central Asia had become the fastest-growing tourism region in the world.

According to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the industry's contribution to the region's GDP increased by 17.7% year-on-year—the best performance among all regions.

Last year, tourism contributed $20.1 billion to the Central Asian economy, or 4.3% of the regional GDP. According to the WTTC forecast, this figure will grow to $21.7 billion in 2026.

Compared to 2019, tourism's contribution to the economy increased by 27.1%. Total tourism expenditure reached $15.4 billion, of which $9.9 billion came from international travelers and $5.5 billion from domestic tourism. Most of this spending was related to leisure and entertainment.

The region's tourism industry employed 1.7 million people in 2025—9.5% more than the previous year. This figure is projected to reach 2.2 million jobs by 2036. Investment in tourism infrastructure increased by 12.4%, placing Central Asia among the top three global leaders in terms of investment growth in the sector.

In 2025, citizens of the following countries chose Central Asia as a tourist destination:

Kazakhstan – 29%;

Uzbekistan – 22%;

Russia – 20%;

Kyrgyzstan – 19%;

China – 2%;

rest of the world – 8%.

WTTC analysis shows that the key drivers of tourism flow are the countries of the region itself and its immediate neighbors. Uzbekistan maintains a leading position in cultural and educational tourism, while Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are actively developing their tourism infrastructure.