Foreign nationals will now be legally prohibited from working as tour guides in Uzbekistan. A draft government decree has already been formulated to strictly regulate tour guiding activities. The use of audio and electronic guide services is also on the legislative agenda.
Tour guiding remains one of the most pressing challenges in the tourism sector. Travelers visit our country primarily to experience our rich history and cultural heritage firsthand, making the assistance of professional guides essential. However, the current pool of guides includes individuals who are underqualified, unprofessional, or prone to inventing their own narratives. Consequently, the accuracy and authenticity of historical facts are being compromised.
During a press conference on May 15, officials from the Tourism Committee were asked to clarify this issue. According to their response, the committee is actively working with the government on a resolution designed to properly regulate tour guiding activities.
“This is a painful issue, but a draft government resolution is already in place. It has been coordinated with all relevant ministries and agencies. Due to a shortage of local guides, many foreign tour groups travel with their own guides. However, these outsiders simply repeat whatever they happen to have read about a site. To address this, we have compiled a list of 209 historical and cultural sites that embody our heritage, and a single, standardized narrative is now being developed for them. This means no alternative interpretations will be permitted,” the committee chairman Abdulaziz Akkulov stated.
Akkulov added that the country currently has only 4,500 tour guides. This number is considered far too low. To boost both the quantity and quality of professionals, private training centers are now being authorized to certify guides. However, because businesses remain dissatisfied with the current standard of applicants, the committee intends to train qualified personnel directly through universities.
“We will award tour guide certificates to university students studying across seven different fields during their three or four years of higher education. This is similar to how military certificates used to be granted to students at transport universities. Through this initiative, we will train up to 7,500 guides annually. This will effectively eliminate the shortage and allow us to legally prohibit foreign nationals from arriving in Uzbekistan to conduct tours,” said Abdulaziz Akkulov.
Stay up to date with all the latest news:
