OREANDA-NEWS. August 23, 2011. Meeting on issues related to opportunities of cooperation at spheres of tourism and hotel businesses was held at the State Property Committee with the World Bank representatives headed by Mr. Takuya Kamata - WB Country Manager, Uzbekistan, where the heads of the National Company "Uzbektourism" also participated. 

Taking into consideration the high-capacity potential of the country's historical heritage, world-known monument-cities and recreation zones, the tourism branch presents being as one of the most promising "growing-points" of the economy as it will inevitably involve development of a wide spectrum of other spheres (render of hotel, sight-seeing, transportation services, folkloric arts, handicrafts and other), stimulates creation of new job-places, improvement of infrastructure at sites of location of the historic-architectural monuments etc.   Therefore, presently the active work is being done on elaboration of the Strategy of tourism development in Uzbekistan.    

It was also stressed that the State is interested and regards tourism as a branch where the role and share of the private sector shall be raised, at that, priority shall be given to attraction the direct private investments, both foreign and local, within the framework of privatization process as well as public and private partnership at implementation of various socially significant projects aimed at improvement of the infrastructure.

In their turn, the World Bank representatives indicated the first-priority, to their opinion, guidelines of the work to be done on further development of tourism in Uzbekistan.

In that connection, it was agreed that at near future at the National Company "Uzbektourism" a meeting will be arranged with the World Bank representatives with the aim to define the frame of issues presenting opportunities for mutual activity.

In conclusion the World Bank representatives expressed their content over the completed meeting and hope for further joint cooperation.