Services, recreation and tourism

Recreation is rest and treatment to restore the strength and energy spent at work. Its development needs people’s income, recreation resources and a recreation economy (hotels, rest houses, sanatoriums, tourist bases, tourist transport). Resources are of two kinds: natural (mountain slopes, springs, waterfalls, caves, lakes, healing climate) and cultural-historical (ancient cities, mausoleums, forts, architectural monuments, museums). In hot summer months plains residents go to the mountains. Famous recreation zones: Chimgan and Charvak in Tashkent region, Shohimardon, Chodak, Nanay, Quvasoy and Chartak in the Fergana Valley, Sitorai Mohi Khosa in Bukhara region, and Miraki in Kashkadarya. The cultural-historical tourism centres are Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shahrisabz, Tashkent and Kokand. The historic centres of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Shahrisabz are on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Tourism is one of the fastest-growing branches in the world and a large source of income for many countries. In Uzbekistan the number of tourists has grown considerably in recent years: visas were simplified, hotels increased and high-speed trains appeared. To develop tourism further, service quality must improve, guides and staff who know foreign languages must be trained, monuments restored and advertising increased.