- While the narrative surrounding Central Asian economies has in recent years been dominated by the potential of extractive industries, tourism is emerging as an increasingly important point of diversification. The region welcomed 29 million foreign visitors in 2024, with travel providers reporting sharp increases in bookings as global interest shifts toward “off the beaten track” destinations.
- The central question, however, is whether this boom is sustainable or simply pent-up demand constrained by the region’s underlying infrastructure weakness.
What’s driving the boom?
Narrative Shift
- 2025 saw Central Asia play an increasingly important role on the global stage through the C5 + 1 framework, with major players including the EU, US and Japan seeking closer relations with the region.
- Whilst having obvious economic implications, this has also contributed to the broader normalisation of the region within global discourse, gradually shifting perceptions away from its traditional image as remote and politically fragile.
Policy Reform
- Historically restrictive visa regimes and entrenched bureaucratic hurdles effectively raised the cost of travel and limited spontaneity. In recent years, however, governments have prioritised visa liberalisation as a tool for scaling tourism.
- After introducing a visa-free regime with China, Chinese arrivals rose by 78% in 2024 (China Daily, 2025).
- Uzbekistan’s new 30-day visa-free entry for US citizens in January has also supported rising inflows.
What this means economically
- Tourism’s expansion offers a pathway toward diversifying a historically narrow growth structure. Despite strong headline growth of 6% in 2025, many Central Asian economies remain heavily reliant on hydrocarbons, precious metals and critical minerals (Euro News, 2025), leaving output vulnerable to commodity price volatility. Tourism could play a meaningful role as a complementary sector that diversifies the region’s economy beyond extractive commodities.
- This would also improve Central Asia’s labour market outcomes as unlike hydrocarbons, the sector is labour-intensive and geographically dispersed. Investment in this sector would support employment across hospitality, transport and retail, with spillovers into secondary cities and rural regions.
- Tourism also attracts diversified foreign capital, illustrated by growing European and Swiss-backed engagement in tourism promotion and infrastructure development, reflecting a broader shift away from exclusive reliance on Russia-linked economic channels.
The infrastructure challenge
- However, the primary constraint remains systemic underinvestment in infrastructure.
- A substantial infrastructure gap of an estimated $30 billion, alongside prioritisation of fossil-fuel investment over modernisation, limits transport connectivity and accommodation capacity (OECD, 2025).
- Without upgrades, tourism growth risks outpacing institutional capacity, potentially restricting long-term sustainability.
- Recent international partnerships, including cooperation frameworks with Japan and Switzerland, indicate recognition of this constraint, but execution speed will be decisive.
Cordoba View
- From Cordoba’s view, tourism in Central Asia can be seen as a symbolic indicator of the region’s developmental model. In a similar fashion to countries in the Middle East, as Central Asia moves beyond its traditional dependence on commodity exportation, tourism could play an important role in diversifying the region’s economic base. However, whilst demand-side factors seem strong, Central Asia still faces supply constraints due to their poor level of infrastructure. Moving forward, it will be important to closely monitor infrastructure deals and planning frameworks implemented across the region as this poses the largest challenge to tourism within the region.
(full report in Research Library)
Continue reading our research
To continue reading the full note and explore the complete body of our work, visit the Research Library.