24 Jan Ecotourism in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, a central Asian Nation located along the Silk Road, is becoming a popular destination for visitors from the region and beyond. While cultural heritage has been a strong attraction for many travelers, Uzbekistan’s environment and natural places have the potential to draw visitors. Purdue’s Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel (START) lab is working with scholars from Urgench State University (UrSU), Uzbekistan, to support the development of ecotourism practices. The first project, supported by a grant from the American Council for International Education’s Central Asia University Partnership Program (UniCEN), is an online Ecotourism course (MOOC) for tourism operators in Uzbekistan.

“Ecotourism promotes small scale tourism development. Ecotourism products minimize the impacts on flora and fauna and protect the environment while providing positive experiences for both visitors and hosts. We believe that ecotourism can be a positive foundation for future tourism growth in Uzbekistan and across Central Asia” said Dr Jonathon Day.

The MOOC is just one of a series of collaborations between the STARTlab and UrSU. The team at UrSU, led by Olimjon Saidmamatov and Dr. Umidjan Matykubov, has several research projects in progress that will support the growth of sustainable development of tourism in Uzbekistan and STARTlab is excited to work with them on these important projects.