Uzbekistan and India have signed a tourism cooperation programme for 2026–2028, aimed at increasing tourist exchanges, developing joint projects and strengthening links between the two countries’ tourism industries.
The programme was signed in Tashkent on 30 August, following talks between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It forms part of a wider package of agreements covering cultural exchanges, education, environmental protection, archaeology and cooperation between Samarkand region and the Indian state of Gujarat.
Overall, the agreement is intended to support the development of new travel products and encourage more travel between the two countries. Plans include mutual cultural weeks, film festivals and other major tourism events, as well as the creation of new joint tourist routes. It is hoped that these initiatives will promote Uzbekistan’s historic cities and cultural heritage to Indian travellers, while giving Uzbek visitors greater exposure to India’s cultural and leisure destinations.
The most significant measure for travellers is the proposed 30-day visa-free regime. Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee said that introducing visa-free travel for citizens of both countries would help increase tourist flows, encourage people-to-people contact and support wider business and tourism cooperation.
However, the regime remains a planned measure rather than an operational one. No implementation date or detailed entry conditions have yet been announced. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently lists India among the countries whose citizens can apply for an e-visa. Indian nationals are also eligible for visa-free transit of up to five days, subject to specific conditions.
The proposal comes as air connectivity between the two countries continues to grow. Uzbek state news agency Dunyo reported that India and Uzbekistan are connected by 14 direct flights a week. If introduced, the visa-free regime, combined with these existing links, could help Indian tour operators expand itineraries covering Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
Separately, a digital-payments arrangement is intended to let Indian visitors use UPI-enabled apps to make QR-code payments at participating businesses in Uzbekistan.
For Uzbekistan, the programme offers a way to strengthen its position in India’s expanding outbound travel market. For Indian visitors, a combination of direct flights, potentially simpler entry procedures, UPI payments and new cultural itineraries could make the country’s Silk Road cities more accessible for short breaks and longer multi-destination tours.
