SOLUTION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN
MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMY
International scientific-online conference
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EXPORT OF TOURISM SERVICES AND ITS ROLE IN UZBEKISTON’S
FOREIGN TRADE
Anvarova Muhsinakhon Otabek kizi
Namangan State University Student of Economy Faculty
Orcid: 0009-0008-9033-9951
Contact: +99890 409 65 06
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16440278
Annotation:
The article analyzes the role of tourism services export in the
foreign trade balance of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The share of export
revenues and trade in services in total exports is assessed on a statistical basis.
In addition, the sector's development potential and opportunities for increasing
foreign currency earnings are identified.
Key words:
tourism export, trade in services, foreign trade balance, foreign
currency earnings, export share.
Introduction
The export of services is a key component in the modern global economy. In
particular, the export of tourism services holds strategic importance for
developing countries in generating stable foreign currency earnings and
establishing a positive foreign trade balance [1]. Uzbekistan is also rapidly
developing in this direction.
In recent years, the inflow of foreign tourists to the country has increased
significantly, with over 6.6 million international visitors registered in 2023 [2].
The value of services provided to them approached USD 1.7 billion [3]. However,
the share of these services in total exports and their actual impact on the foreign
trade balance have not yet been sufficiently studied.
The purpose of this article is to determine the role of tourism services
export in Uzbekistan’s foreign trade balance and to demonstrate its potential
and future development opportunities based on statistical analysis.
Data analysing
Extensive research has been conducted internationally on the export of
tourism services. In reports by the UNWTO and OECD, tourism export is
classified as “invisible trade” and recognized as an important source of foreign
currency earnings [4]. Approaches related to services trade are explained in the
works of B. Balassa (1965) and P. Krugman (1991), focusing on the impact of
global service flows on the trade balance.
In the context of Uzbekistan, official data from the Statistics Agency, the
Central Bank, and the Tourism Committee serve as the primary sources of
SOLUTION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN
MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMY
International scientific-online conference
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information [1], [2], [3]. While some local scholars (I. Islomov, A. To‘xtasinov)
have examined the contribution of tourism services to economic growth, they
have not fully addressed their specific impact on the foreign trade balance.
Therefore, the share of services export—particularly in the tourism
sector—relative to total exports, as well as its role in macroeconomic stability,
requires separate and detailed analysis.
Research Methodology
The study analyzes the indicators of services export, tourism export, and
total exports in the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period 2015–2023. The
primary sources of data were selected as the databases of the Statistics Agency
of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Central Bank, and the UNWTO [1], [3], [4].
The following indicators were selected for analysis:
• Annual tourism services export (in million USD);
• Total services export and goods export (in million USD);
• The share of tourism export in total exports (as a percentage);
• The net volume of foreign trade balance and its positive/negative status.
Descriptive analysis, trend dynamics, and comparative share-based
methods were employed as the primary analytical tools. The results were
presented using charts and tables to ensure clarity and comprehensive
visualization.
Analysis and results
1. Dynamics of Tourism Export
Year Tourism export (mln $) Total export (mln $) Portion (%)
2015 876
11,979
7.3
2018 1,321
14,257
9.3
2020 261
13,050
2.0
2023 1,678
19,324
8.7
Source: [1], [2], [3]
Although tourism export experienced a sharp decline in 2020 due to the
impact of the pandemic, it recovered by 2023, reaching USD 1,678 million. This
figure accounted for 8.7 percent of total exports. Such a share is considered
relatively high among developing countries.
2. Impact on the Foreign Trade Balance
In recent years, Uzbekistan's foreign trade balance has shown a negative
disparity (with imports exceeding exports). However, services export—
particularly tourism—plays a significant role in mitigating this gap. It has been
SOLUTION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN
MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMY
International scientific-online conference
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identified that foreign currency earnings from tourism exports partially offset
the trade deficit.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Analyses show that tourism services export holds a significant share in
Uzbekistan’s overall exports and plays a strategic role in maintaining the
stability of the foreign trade balance. In particular, in 2023, this share accounted
for 8.7%, demonstrating growth compared to 2015.
However, the existing potential has not yet been fully realized. To further
expand tourism exports, the following measures are proposed:
Development of year-round tourism products (wellness tourism,
conference tourism, eco-tourism);
Strengthening external advertising and branding policies (in key export
markets);
Simplifying payment systems through international online services
(PayPal, Visa Direct, UnionPay);
Including tourism as a separate module within the services export
strategy.
In our view, tourism services export represents a highly liquid sector with
strong social impact and serves as an important direction in maintaining the
structural balance of Uzbekistan’s foreign trade. Systematic support of this
sector should become a priority area of the country's foreign economic policy.
References:
1.
O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Statistika agentligi. (2024). Xizmatlar savdosi
statistik ma’lumotlari. https://stat.uz
2.
O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Turizm qo‘mitasi. (2024). 2023-yil yakuniy
hisobotlari.
3.
O‘zbekiston Respublikasi Markaziy banki. (2024). To‘lovlar balansi va
eksport statistikasi. https://cbu.uz
4.
UNWTO.
(2023).
Tourism
Highlights
2023
Edition.
https://www.unwto.org
5.
OECD.
(2023).
Trade
in
Services:
Trends
and
Statistics.
https://www.oecd.org
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Baxriddinovna, T. N. (2024). TURIZMNI RIVOJLANTIRISHNING XORIJIY
TAJRIBASI. Science and innovation, 3(Special Issue 28), 830-833.
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RIVOJLANISH TENDENTSIYALARI VA TURISTIK SALOHIYATI. Science and
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