Starting from September 5, payment for hotel rooms and other accommodation facilities shall be made in local currency only, save for cases when payment is made by an international bank card, the Tourism Development Committee said.
The ban on making payments in foreign currency in Uzbekistan is provided for by the President’s September 2 Priority Measures for Liberalization of Currency Policy Decree.
From now on, all prices and tariffs in Uzbekistan shall be set in soum only. However, hotels are allowed to use e-boards showing exchange rates to get payment from foreign nationals wishing to pay by international bank cards.
Uzbek nationals cannot make payments to travel agents in foreign currency for services of tour operators-counterparts (hotels) abroad.
The above requirements do not apply to payments to hotel and travel agents from outside of Uzbekistan, which are made via bank transfers.
Hotels and other accommodation facilities are recommended to set prices independently calculating prices in local currency at the official exchange rate of the Central Bank on the day of payment.
