As part of the Cabinet of Ministers' resolution regarding additional measures for the implementation of the "Umrah Plus" program, it is expected that in 2026-2027, the number of tourists from Malaysia and Indonesia will reach 100,000 people. This will be part of a strategy to develop pilgrimage tourism.
According to the new roadmap, special events related to the celebration of Ramadan Khait and Kurban Khait will be organized in Uzbekistan to attract travelers from these countries. Advertising campaigns titled "In the Footsteps of Imam Bukhari" and "Spend Ramadan in Uzbekistan" are also planned in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Roadshows dedicated to pilgrimage tourism are planned in regions of Malaysia with a high Muslim population, such as Kelantan, Kedah, and Terengganu.
Within the framework of the "Umrah Plus" program, tourist routes covering Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara regions will be developed.
The document also stipulates that by the end of 2026, the Tourism Committee will provide subsidies of $100 for each tourist to tour operators working with tourists from Malaysia and Indonesia under the "Umrah Plus" program. These funds will be allocated from the Tourism Support Fund.
Within a month, the Tourism Committee, together with other interested ministries, will approve the procedure for calculating the number of attracted tourists and the payment of the corresponding subsidies.
Additionally, within two weeks, a plan for "Umrah Plus" will be developed under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojaev, involving local tour operators. As part of this program, in collaboration with the Agency for Cultural Heritage and the khokimiyats of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara regions, voluntary discounts will be offered for visiting cultural heritage sites, accommodation in hotels, meals, and other services during the off-season periods — from November 20 to February 20 and in July.
The Ministry of Transport, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Tourism Committee, has been tasked to ensure the attraction of up to 10 aircraft, including on lease terms, within two weeks to service the program. The launch of tourist air routes from Kuala Lumpur to Samarkand and back, from Kuala Lumpur to Bukhara to Jeddah and back, as well as from Jakarta to Samarkand to Jeddah and back, and from Jakarta to Bukhara to Jeddah and back at competitive prices is also planned.
It is also worth noting that starting from August 2025, Indonesian airlines will be allowed to operate flights to all international airports in Uzbekistan.
Source: podrobno.uz
