Tourism on the Silk Road: Uzbekistan opens its doors to the world at TITF-2025 – photos

The great cities of the Silk Road have always drawn travellers in search of beauty, history and revelation. This November, they drew something else as well: the world’s tourism community. From 27–29 November 2025, the 30th anniversary edition of the Tashkent International Tourism Fair (TITF) unfurled its banners at CAEx – the Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan, marking a milestone for a nation eager to tell its story anew.

Organised by the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the National PR Centre and Interforum LLC, and held with the official support of UN Tourism, TITF has long cemented its status as Central Asia’s largest and most influential tourism marketplace. In 2024, the fair attracted more than 13,500 visitors, 1,500 participants, and over 20,000 B2B negotiations; expectations for 2025 hovered around 15,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors, and the scale of activity suggested those figures were well within reach.

A fair that mirrors a nation in motion

Representing Daily News Hungary, I joined the crowds on the opening morning, where the Main Stage played host to an international roster of dignitaries. Among them were Umid Shadiyev, Chairman of the Tourism Committee; Russia’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov; Nurtas Karipbayev, head of Kazakhstan’s Tourism Industry Committee; Jamshed Jumakhonzoda of Tajikistan; and, by video link, UN Tourism Secretary-General Sheikha Nasser Al Nowais. Their presence affirmed the fair’s growing diplomatic weight.

From there, the traditional circuit of national pavilions began: a colourful procession across Uzbekistan’s regions and cultural identities. The Republic of Karakalpakstan showcased the surreal landscapes of the Aral Sea; Navoiy recreated its award-winning mountain village of Sentob; Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, Tashkent City and a dozen other regions presented their treasures through models, handicrafts, folk performances and – in the Kashkadarya pavilion – even a traditional swing that became an unlikely star of the show.

At the same time, the “Delicious Uzbekistan – 2025” International Gastronomy Festival and Chefs Championship, held under WACS standards, became a theatre of culinary diplomacy. More than 200 chefs from over 30 countriescompeted in twelve categories. For visitors, the only real challenge lay in pacing oneself amidst the endless tastings.

Uzbekistan through new eyes

My route to the fair was through the TITF Media Campus, a ten-day press tour organised by Aziz Mirdjalilov, Head of Marketing at the Tourism Committee, which brought together journalists, photographers, filmmakers and digital creators from across the world. We travelled through Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva with our expert guide Sherzod Sultanov. Only moments into the tour, one could understand why Alexander the Great supposedly said that everything he had heard about Uzbekistan is true, except that it is more beautiful than he imagined.

The experience culminated in the Media Forum “Uzbekistan Through New Eyes”, moderated by Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan’s Tourism Ambassador to the UK. The forum explored how storytelling, modern media and emotional narratives can shape the future of national tourism branding.

“Tourism in Uzbekistan is developing rapidly and it’s a very exciting time to be involved,” Ibbotson shared her views. “TITF plays an important role in bringing public and private stakeholders together, sharing ideas, and building professional relationships.”

Speakers included Kieran Morris of The Guardian and GQ, German geopolitical analyst Ramon Shack, Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sanaa Tauseef, and Azerbaijani travel photographer Rustam Nabizade, among others.

The discussions reflected the impressions many of us had gathered during the press tour:

• The warmth of Uzbek people—genuine, open, always ready for a little chat and a photograph.
• The extraordinary coexistence of past and present, where high-speed trains glide between cities built on desert fortitude.
• Resilience, particularly in regions shaped by harsh geography and chronic water scarcity.
• The ambitious youth, especially students at the Tourism Academy, whose English fluency and confidence made a strong impression.
• Safety, which every participant noted—Uzbekistan feels comfortable even late at night. “The only risk,” one campus participant added, “is the amount of food you’ll be offered to eat.”