Samarkand is set to welcome close to 14 million visitors by the end of 2026, according to Professor Mohsinjoon Kholmukhamedov, President of Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage. He said the Uzbek city had already passed the 10 million mark between January and September.<\/p>\n
In an interview with UN News, he estimated that the city received nearly seven million tourists in 2025, counting both residents of Uzbekistan and visitors from abroad. Nationwide, tourist numbers climbed from about 1.2 million in 2016 to roughly 12 million in 2025, growth he attributes to expanding air connections.<\/p>\n
The university has partnered with UN Tourism, formerly known as the World Tourism Organization, since 2023, and the agreement was renewed this year. Kholmukhamedov described his institution as a pioneer in that cooperation.<\/p>\n
“We are the first university to enter into a partnership with this organisation, and we have established cooperation in several areas.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The university is preparing to launch a tourism observatory that would join the international network of tourism observatories, the first of its kind in Central Asia. Beyond counting arrivals, it is meant to measure tourism’s impact on jobs, the urban environment and residents’ daily lives. The university is also translating courses from the UN Tourism online academy for local residents.<\/p>\n
Correcting 1990s restoration work<\/h2>\n
Historic Samarkand, including Registan Square, is listed by UNESCO as World Heritage, and the university hosts a UNESCO Chair and works with architects and restoration specialists. Kholmukhamedov singled out the plaster, concrete and reinforcing bars used to repair monuments in the 1990s as one of the main problems. Ongoing research with experts, he added, points to modern composite materials that do not harm the historic fabric.<\/p>\n
Researchers use laser technology to build 3D models of buildings, allowing them to track the slightest changes and catch serious deformations in time. If a structure shows a worrying tilt, its frame is reinforced and stabilised, he said.<\/p>\n
Rail links and expressway<\/h2>\n
Work is under way on rail projects expected to connect Uzbekistan with China and Afghanistan, and from there with South Asia, Kholmukhamedov said. A high-speed road between the capital, Tashkent, and Samarkand is also planned, cutting travel time to about two and a half hours. The projects are due for completion between 2030 and 2032.<\/p>\n
By air, Samarkand has direct flights to more than 40 destinations, and its international airport is a hub in a network served by nine private Uzbek airlines.<\/p>\n
Housing pressure<\/h2>\n
The rapid growth raises the question of housing for local residents, the focus of World Cities Day 2026, held under the theme “Urban regeneration: affordable housing for all”. More than 1,100 residential buildings have gone up in the Samarkand region over eight years, while the city’s master plan to 2040 relies on a large expansion of the housing stock.<\/p>\n
UN-Habitat is working with the government of Uzbekistan on a housing agenda that goes beyond new construction to cover the condition of homes, their energy use, affordability for households and the upkeep of existing stock, as most families live in detached houses. The programme’s representative, Katja Sch\u00e4fer, said:<\/p>\n
“In Samarkand, heritage is not limited to monuments alone; it also includes the traditional neighbourhoods where people live and where community life thrives.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Sch\u00e4fer is calling for homes and services to be upgraded where they stand rather than replaced, with better water supply, heating and energy efficiency and renovation that respects the old urban character, while any new residential expansion is pushed away from the city’s historic area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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