17:06, june 18 2019, Author: Asia-Plus
Tajikistan is taking efforts to attract foreign tourists. Beginning on June 15, foreign tourists arriving in Tajikistan will be able to receive Tcell SIM cards valid for ten days free of charge without registration.
The SIM cards will be given to adult tourists at the tourist police department at Dushanbe International Airport and at all border crossing points (BCPs).
Besides, a mobile application “Salom Tajikistan” and tourist passport with additional services and information will be worked out under support of the tourist police in the near future.
Tajikistan’s rich cultural heritage, hospitality and abundance of mountain snow peaks, rivers, lakes and recreational opportunities contribute to the development of country’s tourism industry. In 2018, Tajik Government announced a year of tourism development. The tourism sector is considered a priority for the development of Tajikistan’s economy. At the same time, undeveloped infrastructure and low levels of quality of services delay the growth of the tourism industry.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of Travel and Tourism to Tajikistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) is forecasted to rise by 3.9% from 2018-2028 to US$316.5 million or 2.5 per cent of total GDP in 2028. The total contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP is forecasted to rise by 4.4% to US$883.1 million or 6.9 per cent to GDP in 2028. Travel and Tourism investment is expected to rise 6.2 per cent in next ten years to 2028, reaching US$165.7 million.
Over the first three months of this year, more than 215,000 foreign tourists have visited Tajikistan, Numon Abdughafforzoda, the head of the Tourism Development Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in an interview in early May. .
The tourism season starts in the country in May and the number of foreign tourists visiting Tajikistan will gradually increase, Abdughafforzoda added.
According to the statistical data from the Tourism Development Agency, 1.155 million foreign tourists visited Tajikistan last year, which was 2.6 times more than in 2017.
