BERLIN, June 11. /Dunyo IA/. On the eve of the 35^th anniversary of Uzbekistan's state independence, the Embassy hosted a presentation evening for tourism journalists titled “Discover Uzbekistan - the Pearl of the Great Silk Road”, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event was attended by journalists specializing in tourism, representatives of travel companies and entrepreneurs.

The guests were presented with information about the rich historical and cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, modern travel opportunities, new tourist destinations, as well as the reforms being implemented in the country's tourism industry.

In his speech, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Germany Dilshod Akhatov, noted that Uzbekistan, located at the most crucial crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, possesses a wealthy historical and cultural heritage and is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for tourists from all over the world. He emphasized that in recent years, the development of tourism has become one of the priority areas of the state policy of New Uzbekistan. The country is actively improving its tourism infrastructure, expanding its network of international air connections and dynamically developing its hotel sector and service industry.

As part of the event, a film dedicated to the country's tourism opportunities was screened. This was followed by a presentation titled “Tourism of Uzbekistan in an Era of Change: Big Reforms – Big Goals”. It was also noted that Uzbekistan is gaining recognition on the international stage as one of the safest countries with stable development rates.

Special attention was paid to the recently opened Center for Islamic Civilization, as well as the renovated Imam al-Bukhari Complex, which were presented as significant new attractions for tourists.

Publications and popular science studies dedicated to Uzbekistan were also presented at the event. In particular, Holger Kretschmar, a representative of the “Trescher Verlag” publishing house, presented the book “Uzbekistan: Along the Great Silk Road Through Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva” by authors Irina and Bodo Thöns. It was noted that this travel guide, which saw its 16th edition in 2026, is a bestseller in the book market of German-speaking countries.

In addition, Philipp Meuser, an honorary professor of Uzbekistan and author of numerous illustrated publications on the country's architecture, delivered a lecture titled “A Journey Through Tashkent: Art on the Facades of Multi-Story Buildings”. He spoke about the architectural appearance of the capital, urban planning traditions and artistic elements of Soviet modernism preserved in the urban environment.

Art historian, historian, and writer Iris Berndt, author of the book “In Praise of Herbs” dedicated to the nature of Uzbekistan, spoke about the opportunities for ecological tourism in the country and shared her own travel experiences.

Stefanie Klasen presented a presentation titled “A Spiritual Journey to Uzbekistan”, where she discussed pilgrimage tourism, the country's rich spiritual heritage and holy sites associated with the names of prominent scholars and thinkers.

Following the official part, a question-and-answer session was held. German journalists and representatives of the tourism industry showed great interest in tourist routes across Uzbekistan, air connectivity, infrastructure, cultural, pilgrimage and ecological tourism destinations, as well as prospects for the further expansion of tourism ties between Germany and Uzbekistan.