Uzbekistan has emerged as one of the world's top-performing countries for growth in international tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest World Tourism Barometer report released by UN Tourism.
The report reveals that Paraguay led the global surge with a 46 percent increase in arrivals, followed closely by New Caledonia at 45 percent and El Salvador at 43 percent. Rounding out the top tiers were Mongolia at 39 percent, Uzbekistan and Palau tied at 37 percent, Tonga and Anguilla both at 25 percent, Ireland at 24 percent, and Brunei at 23 percent.
This explosive 37 percent growth positions Uzbekistan as the undisputed leader in tourism acceleration across Central Asia. While neighboring countries like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan traditionally attract large absolute numbers of regional visitors, Uzbekistan's targeted infrastructure upgrades and visa liberalization have triggered a massive regional power shift. For comparison, overall tourism growth across Central Asia averaged around 11 percent, meaning Uzbekistan’s growth rate is outpacing its regional peers by more than three-fold. Analysts note that this rapid expansion is successfully transforming the country from a seasonal stop into Central Asia's primary mobility hub.
The data underscores a sustained post-pandemic momentum for global tourism through the first quarter of 2026. Worldwide international tourist trips ticked up by 2 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching an estimated 307 million travelers.
Industry experts point out that Uzbekistan's vast cultural heritage, legendary historic cities like Samarkand and Bukhara, and aggressive state-backed reforms targeting tourism infrastructure continue to serve as the catalyst driving the nation's rising appeal among global travelers.
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