Uzbekistan: Tourist boom in the Khoresm Oblast
This fall the Khoresm Oblast, located in the north-west of Uzbekistan, sees the tourist boom. In the last two weeks four trains and one aircraft, bringing tourists from EU, arrived here. Over 2.5 thousand foreign guests got a chance to enjoy ancient monuments and other historical sites of the region.
Photo by Ferghana.Ru
The first charter train arrived in the Urgench train station on October 8. It was ordered in Moscow by British Travel LTD and brought 850 tourists from France, Germany and other EU states. From Moscow the train took off to Almaty (Kazakhstan) and then headed to Tashkent, Samarqand, Bukhara and Urgench. The second similar trained reached Urgench while making a tour over the tourist places in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Few days later, A-310 aircraft, taking a direct flight from Paris with 245 French, Austrian and German tourists, arrived in the Urgench International Airport. They also visited Khiva. At the end of the week Urgench also hosted another two VIP-trains from Europe.
Photo by Ferghana.Ru
- Uzbek part of the trip over Great Silk Road for 50 tourists from Germany, France, Spain and other countries were organized in cooperation with Marco Polo, famous Tashkent-based tourist firm, also well-known in Europe – says Olga Simon, the representative of Lernidee Erlebniraisen GmbH (Germany). - The passengers of the train are rich people. Therefore, we rented 6 coaches of Russian Tsarskoe zoloto luxury train that carry passengers by Trans-Siberian railroad.
Besides ordinary tourists there were also people with professional interest.
"We still need to process what we’ve seen in Khiva. It is like as if we have been to 1001 nights", says Francisco Nadal, the journalist of Madrid-based Marie Clair women’s magazine, published throughout Spanish-speaking world. – Of course, I will write a report about this trip. I traveled to many countries of the world and I can give comparisons. I am very impressed by special atmosphere of hospitality, openness and tourist-oriented service. It feels like I want to come back here again and again".
Overall, over 27.5 thousand foreign tourists have visited Khiva since the beginning of the year.
Photo by Ferghana.Ru
It has to be mentioned that in December of 1990 UNESCO General Assembly included Ichan-Kala (Inner city) historical and architectural center, occupying 26 hectares in Khiva and surrounded by magnificent cob wall, in the list of world cultural heritage objects. It also has over 100 ancient and medieval age monuments. In October of 1997 under support of UNESCO Khiva celebrated 2500 anniversary while Mamuna Academy in Khoresm, one of the first stationary scientific centers in the world, celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2006.
Unofficial sources state that Marco Polo Company is owned by Gulnara Karimova, eldest daughter of Uzbek President.