KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — Uzbekistan is looking to strengthen two-way tourism cooperation with Malaysia, leveraging the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign to boost travel flows between the two countries.

Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Malaysia, Dr Karomidin Gadoev, said both sides stand to benefit from closer collaboration in tourism promotion as Malaysia ramps up efforts to attract international visitors under its flagship campaign.

“There should be balanced traffic. Otherwise, flights may not be viable if they are full in one direction but empty on the return,” he said when met recently.

He described Malaysia as a successful model of tourism development, particularly in the Muslim-friendly segment and said that Uzbekistan is keen to learn from its experience while expanding cooperation.

“Malaysia is a wonderful country and a successful example in tourism. We are keen to work together to promote tourism,” he said, adding that discussions are ongoing to expand air links between Kuala Lumpur and key Uzbek cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara.

He said Uzbekistan received nearly 12,500 tourists from Malaysia last year, up from about 4,300 in 2023, reflecting strong growth in travel demand between the two countries.

Gadoev said Uzbekistan is working to increase tourist arrivals from Malaysia and Indonesia, targeting about 100,000 visitors from both countries over 2026 and 2027, compared with current levels of fewer than 20,000.

At the same time, he stressed that tourism cooperation must be mutually beneficial, with efforts needed to encourage more Uzbek tourists to visit Malaysia to ensure sustainable air connectivity.

He noted that Malaysia remains an important partner for Uzbekistan, particularly given its strong outbound travel market and large Muslim population, which aligns with Uzbekistan’s tourism offerings.

Uzbekistan is also introducing targeted measures to facilitate travel from Malaysia, including tour packages linked to Umrah travel, as part of broader efforts to enhance tourism cooperation. — Bernama