THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ENTITIES IN UZBEKISTAN'S TOURISM SECTOR AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY INDICATORS

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of entrepreneurial entities in the development of Uzbekistan’s tourism sector and evaluates their economic efficiency indicators. The study examines the contribution of tourism entrepreneurship to employment, value added, regional development, and service diversification. Using a mixed-method approach combining descriptive statistics, efficiency indicators, and econometric analysis, the research assesses productivity, profitability, cost efficiency, and service performance. The findings confirm that entrepreneurial entities are the primary drivers of tourism sector growth in Uzbekistan, while also revealing structural efficiency gaps. Based on the results, policy-oriented and managerial recommendations are proposed to enhance the economic efficiency and sustainability of tourism entrepreneurship. Keywords: tourism entrepreneurship, economic efficiency, tourism sector, SMEs, performance indicators, Uzbekistan