344 Journal of Public Diplomacy and International Studies www. grnjournal.us AMERICAN Journal of Public Diplomacy and International Studies Volume 02, Issue 02, 2024 ISSN (E):2993-2157 Uzbekistan is One of the Best and Safest Countries for Tourists Buron Jumayev Teacher of the “History of Uzbekistan” department of Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizamiy Abstract: In this article, the information related to the tourism potential of Uzbekistan is given as an example of safe tourism, the reforms carried out in this field during the years of independence and the prospective plans implemented by the state are detailed, as well as some scientific and practical suggestions are given. raised. Keywords: tourism in Uzbekistan, security, tourism, world, reliable, service, foreign. Since the end of the 20th century, the tourism sector has become one of the main components of population income in many developed and developing countries of the world. Even today, the tourism industry is one of the most promising and rapidly developing branches of the service industry. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said about tourism opportunities: “Tourism is one of the promising industries that bring high income to the national economy today. Uzbekistan is a country with great potential in the field of tourism1” he said. Tourism is a broad concept, and today there are many types of it, depending on the reasons for which tourists visit. For example: gastronomic tourism, ecotourism, agrotourism, sports tourism, cultural tourism, pilgrimage tourism, medical tourism, educational tourism, etc. Equally wide opportunities are being created for all types of tourism in Uzbekistan, and large- scale cooperation with various countries is being carried out in this regard. On May 31-June 2, 2022, the international summit “Halal In Travel-Global Summit 2022” dedicated to the restoration and development of the tourism market of the Muslim world was held in Singapore. Aziz Abduhakimov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, took part in the summit and spoke online. As part of the Halal in Travel Awards global summit, the city of Samarkand won the “Islamic Heritage Destination of the Year” and “The Best Developing Muslim City of the Year” awards. Uzbekistan entered the top ten in the «World Muslim Travel Index» published annually by Crescent Rating. In developing this rating, more than forty criteria were taken into account, such as the country's openness policy for tourists, the opportunities created for Muslim tourists, promotion and marketing, and the level of conveying Islamic heritage to tourists. Fazal Bahardin, the head of the Crescent Rating organization, highlighted this year's indicators and recognized Uzbekistan as the country that has risen the fastest in the rating and is setting an example for others. This summit brought together more than 70 industry experts with experience in the field of tourism from different parts of the world. 1 Мирзиёев Ш.М. Олий Мажлисга Мурожаатнома // https://uza.uz/uz/posts/zbekiston-respublikasi-prezidenti- shavkat-mirziyeevning-oliasy-28-12-2018 (04.02.2020). 345 Journal of Public Diplomacy and International Studies www. grnjournal.us In order to improve the position of Uzbekistan in the international rankings of the tourism industry, UNWTO took the 4th place in the 2019 ranking of the list of rapidly developing countries in tourism. It is planned to reach the 3rd place in 2026. The rating of the safest countries for tourists took 46th place in 2020. The goal is to enter the list of 20 safest countries in 2026. According to the “Solo Travel Safety Report” ranking of the safest country for solo travelers in 2019, it took the 80th place. In 2026, it is planned to reach at least 50 places in this rating, and in 2026, it is aimed to reach 3rd place, after taking the 7th place in the Global Muslim Travel Index halal tourism rating in 2020. In the index of competitiveness of travel and tourism, it is aimed to include Uzbekistan in the first 50 in 2026. Historical and cultural monuments and antiques are important in the development of tourism in the country. There are more than 8,000 objects of cultural heritage in Uzbekistan. Four museum cities – “Ichan-castle in the city of Khiva” (1990), “Historical center of the city of Bukhara” (1993), “Historical center of the city of Shahrisabz” (2000), “The city of Samarkand” (2001) have been included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List2. Uzbekistan was recognized by the “Wegoplase” travel portal as one of the 5 safest countries in the world, and by the “Crescent Rating” and “Mastercard” organizations as one of the 10 most popular countries in terms of pilgrimage tourism. It can be seen that there is a sufficient basis for the development of tourism in Uzbekistan3. On October 16-17, 2023, for the first time in the history of Uzbekistan, the jubilee 25th session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was held in the city of Samarkand. At this prestigious conference, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev made a speech and put forward a number of important and relevant initiatives. In particular, taking into account the current complex situation, the President's initiative to develop a Global Safe Tourism Code within the framework of the United Nations in order to strengthen the legal framework in the field of international tourism was highly recognized by industry experts as a timely proposal. Because, in the increasingly globalized world, ethnic, national and religious disputes, different political views in different regions of the world, in turn, have a negative impact on the development of tourism, cultural exchange of peoples and countries. The implementation of the Global Safe Tourism Code within the framework of the United Nations encourages countries and countries to pay more serious attention to tourism issues. Also, the head of our country proposed to establish the Council of Historic Cities for Tourism under the World Tourism Organization, to establish the “Best City for Implementation of Green Tourism” nomination within the organization. It should be noted that environmental issues are becoming more and more important in the world and are one of the important issues on the agenda. The introduction of the nomination is important not only for tourism, but also for the environment and clean urbanization in all countries. This platform allows you to increase the flow of tourists to cultural heritage sites, share the best practices in the preservation of historical monuments, and formulate recommendations and effective solutions. Organizing the first meeting of the Council in the ancient city of Bukhara will contribute to the promotion of the history and culture of Uzbekistan at the international level, increasing the flow of tourists to our country, attracting new investment projects, and also contributing to the further development of the tourism industry in our country. Because Bukhara is one of the cities that has its place not only in history, but also today in the development of world tourism4. Such high-level initiatives are sure to make a great contribution to the development of the tourism sector. 2 Абдимўминов O. Ўзбекистон ва Бутунжаҳон туризм ташкилоти: эврилиш ва юксалиш йўли // https://yuz.uz/news/ozbekiston-va-butunjahon-turizm-tashkiloti-evrilish-va-yuksalish-yoli (12.11.2023). 3 Ўзбекистон 2022 йилда саёҳат қилиш учун энг яхши мамлакат –The Independent 4 янв 2022 // https://uznews.uz/posts/29018 (02.04.2023). 4 4 Рахимов М., Абдимўминов О. Ўзбекистон ва БМТ: муносабатлар тарихи ва барқарор риовжланиш омиллари. – Тошкент: Ҳамкорнашр. 2019. – P. 95. 346 Journal of Public Diplomacy and International Studies www. grnjournal.us Today, there is tourism related to all types of tourism, and this is gastronomic tourism. Therefore, the safety of gastronomic tourism is very important for the safety of tourism. In this regard, representatives of various fields are conducting great scientific work, for example, Russian researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system that can detect various diseases of vegetables and fruits. This system was developed by a team of researchers from Skoltex and St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation under the leadership of Skoltex Senior Lecturer Andrey Somov. This research group has been working for a long time to create artificial intelligence systems that can recognize various products, including vegetables and fruits. The scientists adapted the new research work of the neural networks they developed to an important and at the same time very labor-intensive task - the detection of various defects and diseases that affect the storage of vegetables and fruits after harvesting. Currently, multi- and hyperspectral cameras operating in the infrared part of the spectrum are used to solve these problems. The researchers found that the same problem can be solved using conventional cameras and two types of neural networks. In particular, scientists were able to adapt the artificial intelligence system to detect two types of defects on the surface of apples - rot and mold. Further calculations showed that the artificial intelligence system created by the scientists was able to analyze photos of four different varieties of apples, find moldy and rotten fruits and distinguish them from intact fruits with a probability of 98 percent. This makes it possible to use such algorithms to monitor the condition of the crop and timely remove diseased fruits and vegetables that serve as foci for the spread of diseases5. The creation of such safe conditions will serve to increase the flow of tourists for any country. The CNN Travel website announced that Uzbekistan was included in the list of the best countries to visit for tourists from around the world in 2023. To better understand the Silk Road and the importance of Uzbekistan in it, it is necessary to visit Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Also, the inclusion of Sentob village of Uzbekistan in the list of «Best Tourist Villages» in 2023 by UNWTO has attracted many tourists, this village has been recognized for its commitment to sustainable development with a focus on nature, organic food and eco-mountain tourism. Uzbekistan now offers visa-free access to citizens of 86 countries, ready to impress visitors with its beautiful landscapes and well-preserved architecture. Singapore, Spain, Indonesia, Angola, Korea and a number of other countries were included in the list of the best countries to visit. It should be noted that Uzbekistan is the only country from Central Asia included in this list6. Uzbekistan was recognized as the best safe country for tourists in Central Asia. The republic is included among countries with a low risk level. So, the level of violence in the country is low, terrorist attacks are not recorded, mass riots are very rare, security and emergency services work efficiently, infrastructure meets generally accepted standards. Besides, we have hospitable and noble people. Currently, we can cite several other safe countries such as Uzbekistan, analysts of “International SOS” recognize Switzerland, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and the island of Greenland as the safest countries in the world for tourists. Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and South Sudan are classified as extremely dangerous7. In general, the most important thing for both domestic and foreign tourists is the safety of the destination, so every country should pay special attention to the security system in order to 5 Sabzavot va mevalarning kasalligini aniqlaydigan sun'iy intellektga asoslangan tizim ishlab chiqildi. Янги Ўзбекистон. 2023 year, 22 December. – P. 6. 6 Oʻzbekiston – CNNning sayohat qilish uchun eng yaxshi davlatlar roʻyxatida Янги Ўзбекистон. 2024 year, 8 january. – P. 3. 7O’zbekiston Markaziy Osiyodagi sayyohlar uchun eng yaxshi xavfsiz davlat Янги Ўзбекистон. 2023 year, 22 December. – P. 6. 347 Journal of Public Diplomacy and International Studies www. grnjournal.us develop tourism. In this regard, the necessary work is being carried out in Uzbekistan. Based on these conclusions, the following proposals and recommendations are put forward: 1. Each country should develop a long-term security plan for tourists; 2. If there are dangerous or troubled areas within a country, road maps should be created that delimit that area.