Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In the Laboratory of Innovations and Management Solutions, together with the Ministry of Innovative Development and the United Nations Development Program, the proposals of the Initiative Working Group on the Development of Excursion Services were discussed. The question of guides of Uzbekistan - problems and their solution is considered.

The discussion was attended by authorized representatives of the State Committee for Tourism Development, the Ministry of Innovative Development, heads of travel companies, guides, etc.

As noted by Shukhrat Isakulov (from the State Committee for Tourism), 5.4 million tourists visited Uzbekistan in 2018, this year the increase already amounted to 35%, while an even greater increase in the number of tourists is expected before the end of the year. This implies a load on the hotel, transport and other infrastructures.

The country is currently facing an acute issue of training guides. Currently, they are being trained by the only training center in the country - State Unitary Enterprise "Republican Center for Advanced Training and Retraining of Personnel in the Tourism Field".

Problems such as the high tax rate with differentiation by region, working conditions, registration as an individual entrepreneur, transportation of guests, security, and wages were considered. The working group proposes to give guides the status of a preferential taxpayer, to provide graduates of educational institutions with a specialization in “guide” 2 years of tax holidays as new subjects. It is also proposed to allow guides to include carriage as an auxiliary activity, which will attract additional investment. Licensed only if there is a minivan.

Guide with experience Belle Lee talked about a new type of tourism - night tourism. Transit tourists sit out at the airport sometimes for 7-8 hours. You can take this moment and show them our capital. But B. Lee noted that there are practically no round-the-clock cultural sites in Tashkent and suggests making some tourist sites round-the-clock, the same problem with food service points, etc.

A separate item during the meeting addressed the issue of education. It is proposed to attract travel agencies for the preparation of guides taking into account market requirements. It was proposed to hold a job fair and similar events. State Tourism Committee is developing a Regulation on the procedure for issuing a qualification certificate to guides and instructors-guides. Also, given the lack of teaching aids on excursion studies, it is proposed to develop those in the state language.

Following the meeting, Sh. Isakulov noted that the State Committee for Tourism Development has developed 8 standard projects using the example of Korea and is ready to give these projects to investors. Of course, there will be a binding to certain areas.