UNDP Uzbekistan

15 representatives of guesthouses of Zaamin district, Jizzakh region visited the Uzbek national guest house “Murod Mirzo” in Tashkent within the study tour, organized by the UNDP “Local Governance Support Project: Participation and Partnership” (hereafter LGSP).

The get-to-know tour to Tashkent aimed at studying the rich experience of the owner of the guesthouse Mr. Murodjon Mirzaev - a doctor of historical sciences, associate professor of Tourism Department of Tashkent State University of Economics, who has many years’ experience in the sphere of guesthouse organization and management.

The guesthouse “Murod Mirzo” is located in a traditional center of Tashkent nearby the oriental bazaar “Eski Zhuva” in an old house, built in the late XIX century. It has 12 large and small rooms decorated in traditional style and enriched with wood carvings. The guesthouse has been operating in the market of cultural-cognitive tourism for 10 years and every year attracts up to 500 foreign visitors. The mini-hotel has become popular among the visitors, who are interested in getting familiarized with the historical and cultural values of Central Asia, located at the crossroads of the Great Silk Road.

The participants of the Study Tour thoroughly examined the guesthouse “Murod Mirzo”, got familiarized with the available living conditions for tourists and guests, possessed valuable knowledge on tourism services, including paper work for hotel visitors, organization of family and cultural programs, entertaining and leisure activities, as well as electronic and print media coverage.

The owner of the guesthouse “Murod Mirzo” gave useful advice to the participants and emphasized that “… the success of guesthouse is guaranteed when one wholly dedicates himself and his sincere love to his work, because such attitude is considered as an integral part of modern tourism industry. Zaamin district has significant potential to develop rural tourism thanks to its unique geographical location, favorable natural and climatic conditions as well as rich culture. However, to reach this goal the followings should be provided:

·         Creation of comfortable living conditions, which comply with modern hygiene and sanitary requirements;

·         Organization of high-quality food and services;

·         Organization of entertaining cultural and leisure programs with the national colors;

·         Organization of various tourist routes (pedestrian, equestrian), availability of trained tour guides, who are proficient in foreign languages and have a strong background in the history of Zaamin;

·         Proficiency in Russian and English languages at a conversational level;

·         Availability of an access to internet, web sites of guest houses to support direct communication with tour operators and tourists;

·          Organization of necessary transport logistics.

In the cultural part of the study tour, Mr. Mirzaev played the national musical instrument Dutar and sang an Uzbek folklore song.

The guests spoke positively of the tour and noted that the obtained knowledge would be useful in their work. In particular, one of the owners of guesthouses in Zaamin Mr. Abdullah Eshonkulov said “… the experience of the guesthouse “Murod Mirza” and significant achievements in the field of guest house organization and management produced great impression on him and aroused a strong desire to engage in hotel business in Zaamin. As a livestock expert and agronomist, as well as being an owner of a farmer, in the future I am planning to develop a rural tourism on the base of guesthouse”.

Mr. Mirzaev and the participants thanked the UNDP for organizing the study tour and expressed a wish for further strengthening of the tourism capacity of guesthouses in Zaamin and effective development of local tourism.

It is worth noting that the LGSP has developed the Joint Action Plan in collaboration with the Khokimiyat of Jizzakh region and Resorts Department under the Council of Trade Unions Federation of Uzbekistan. Under the Joint Action Plan a complex analysis of tourism capacity of Zaamin district was conducted, the existing problems were identified, as well as several measures have been taken to strengthen the capacity of guesthouses, boarding housesand sanatoriumthrough various trainings, workshops, master classes, study tours with the participation of experienced specialists in this field.