KUALA LUMPUR, December 1. /Dunyo IA/. Talks were held between Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Malaysia, Karomiddin Gadoyev, and President of the (Malaysia Tourism Agency Association - MATA), Mohd Khalid Harun, as well as Adam Kamal, Director of the major wholesale tour-package company “Soka Muslim Friendly Travel”, and Wan Lai Yuen, Manager of the tour operator “Smart Global Adventures”, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The talks focused on advancing the broad promotion of the tourism potential of the Bukhara, Samarkand, Khorezm and Tashkent regions, as well as the capital city, within Malaysia’s tourism market.

The participants were briefed on the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan’s tourism sector, the dynamic development of pilgrimage tourism, and the comprehensive measures being taken to create favourable conditions for international visitors.

The two sides also exchanged views on promoting tourism programmes among Malaysian youth, including initiatives such as “winter tourism”, “ecotourism” and “gastronomic tourism”.

Mohd Harun expressed his appreciation to the Uzbek representatives for their participation in the World Halal Tourism and Trade Exhibition and extended an invitation for Uzbekistan to take part in the tourism exhibition scheduled for 2026. He noted that interest among Malaysians is steadily growing in several of Uzbekistan’s tourism centres linked to Islamic civilisation. He also emphasized that the direct flights between Tashkent and Kuala Lumpur - operated weekly by “Uzbekistan Airways”, “Batik Air”, “AirAsia” provide additional convenience for travellers.

Adam Kamal highlighted that his company actively markets tour packages to Uzbekistan among local tour operators through a dedicated web portal. He also noted that the company’s Malay-language tourism magazine, “Soka Muslim Friendly Travel” features articles on Uzbek tour packages. Currently, the company focuses on wholesale (B2B) distribution of tour packages for travel to European countries, the Middle East, Southeast and East Asia, as well as South Africa. Approximately 500 local tour operators are registered on the dedicated web portal, enabling them to purchase Uzbek tour packages directly.

Wan Lai Yuen, Manager of “Smart Global Adventures”, expressed her readiness to jointly organise promotional events aimed at increasing the number of Malaysian tourists visiting Uzbekistan. Following the discussions with Ms. Wan, an agreement was reached to hold a major presentation in Kuala Lumpur in 2026, showcasing Uzbekistan’s tourism potential.