CHINA’S REGIONAL TOURISM STRATEGIES AND THE PROSPECTS FOR UZBEKISTAN’S GEOECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Аннотация

China’s expanding regional tourism strategies—encompassing policy initiatives under the Belt and Road framework, visa facilitation, and outbound investment—are increasingly shaping Central Asia’s economic landscape. This article analyzes how China’s tourism outreach can serve as a catalyst for Uzbekistan’s geoeconomic integration. We review recent developments such as visa-free travel agreements, surging Chinese tourist flows into Central Asia, and joint tourism promotion campaigns. Using a comparative approach with relevant data, we discuss the implications for Uzbekistan’s economy and regional connectivity. The findings indicate that China’s tourism-driven diplomacy and infrastructure investments may significantly boost Uzbekistan’s tourism sector and broader economic linkages, while also highlighting the need for sustainable and balanced integration. We conclude that leveraging China’s tourism strategies offers promising opportunities for Uzbekistan to deepen its regional geoeconomic ties, provided that challenges ofdependency and cultural preservation are managed. Keywords: Regional trade agreements, USMCA, geo-economic integration, economic diversification, New Uzbekistan, trade policy.