Officials are discussing the launch of direct flights between Uzbekistan and Indonesia, the Tourism Committee has announced.
Committee chairman Abdulaziz Akkulov met with Indonesia's Hajj and Umrah Minister, Muhammad Irfan Yusuf.
The two sides discussed expanding tourism exchange, developing pilgrimage tourism, and strengthening cooperation between tour operators. In particular, they reviewed plans to launch direct flights connecting Tashkent and Jakarta, as well as historic cities to Indonesia.
During the talks, officials noted the possibility of using subsidy mechanisms to support new flight routes. They also confirmed that local tour operators who bring in tourists from Indonesia will receive a $100 subsidy per tourist.
According to the committee, more than 2 million Indonesian citizens make the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage each year, while the country is home to more than 1,200 pilgrimage sites. The legacies of Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, Imam Tirmidhi and Bahauddin Naqshband were cited as key draws for the Indonesian market.
As part of the visit, Indonesia's Hajj and Umrah minister toured pilgrimage sites in Samarkand and Bukhara. The two sides agreed to promote both cities as pilgrimage tourism destinations in the Indonesian market, develop specialized tour packages, and hold B2B meetings with Hajj and Umrah operators.
The committee said that direct flights, the "Umrah Plus" program, cooperation between tour operators and the development of pilgrimage tourism infrastructure will help strengthen the country's position in the Indonesian market and boost tourist flows.
The announcement follows an earlier report on the launch of the first-ever direct flights between Tashkent and Mauritius.
