TARGET-ORIENTED TOURISM GOVERNANCE IN UZBEKISTAN AND THE FORMATION OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

Tourism has become one of the most strategically significant and rapidly developing sectors of Uzbekistan’s national economy. Since 2016, the Republic of Uzbekistan has launched a large-scale reform agenda aimed at strengthening tourism governance, improving infrastructure, liberalizing visa procedures, and diversifying tourism services. This article examines the targeted objectives and priority directions of Uzbekistan’s state tourism policy based on key presidential decrees and sectoral reforms. The study employs qualitative policy analysis combined with descriptive statistical interpretation of tourism development indicators for 2018–2022. The findings demonstrate that tourism reforms contributed to increased institutional efficiency, growth of tourism enterprises, expansion of accommodation facilities, and the introduction of broad visa liberalization measures. However, the results also reveal persistent constraints, including seasonal infrastructure shortages, insufficient transport coordination, and weak tourism marketing mechanisms. The research concludes that the future sustainability of tourism development in Uzbekistan depends on accelerated digital transformation, improved regulatory mechanisms, stronger international promotion strategies, and intensified cooperation between the state and private sector.