Impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism Industry of Uzbekistan and State Support during the Pandemic

Tourism as an emerging sector in Uzbekistan has been facing consistent reforms since 2016, aiming to diversify business opportunities. But, the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic has disturbed the plans. This study is to understand the current situation of the tourism business suffering from the pandemic and discloses the priority needs of tourism entities to survive during the crises. A structured questionnaire consisting of 15 questions is used to assess the issues of interest. Two hundred seventy nine valid questionnaires collected from tourism stakeholders are analyzed. The study results reveal that business revenue shows a significant decline during the pandemic and stakeholders are expecting a short-term financial support from the government. The role of the government in terms of assisting the tourism industry to revive after the pandemic is critical. Further, it is necessary to build strong cooperation between governments and tourism establishments to cope with adverse consequences due to the pandemic.