Prospects of development of roadside service for travelers in Uzbekistan

The active development of the tourist services market, increase of competitiveness of the national tourist product, perfection of the branch infrastructure require the creation of necessary economic and legislative conditions. These and other issues have been discussed at the session of the Committee on International Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations of Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan. One of the most pressing issues was the modernization of tourist and transport infrastructure. In particular, legislators gave the focus to the attraction of investments for creation of modern automobile lines together with constructing along them the objects of the tourist service.

Legislators are assured that today the creation of a modern and competitive tourist complex is impossible without a roadside infrastructure meeting the international standards.

According to the experts, the development of a roadside service along the basic automobile lines includes, in particular, the optimum allocation of fast food cafes, shops with goods of first priority, lavatories, in short, everything that is necessary to both domestic and foreign travelers and tourists.

The program of building of the Uzbek national highway approved in the last years by the government has become one of the necessary conditions at that. Its development and implementation is the important and complicated process.

Working groups have been created with participation of the interested government and business structures as well as special “road map” was charted where all available and future tourist infrastructure are to be weaved into a single roadside network of big routes and local highways leading to unique tourist recreation zones, monuments of archeology, history and nature. By the way, tourism experts of our country have expressed the authoritative opinion at that as well. Proceeding from the world experience and requirements of the branch of Uzbekistan, NC O’zbekturizm together with the country tour operators have defined the most prospective sites for allocation of objects of the roadside infrastructure along the Silk Road. In particular, on routes Tashkent – Samarqand – Tashkent, Shahrisabz – Bukhoro – Shahrisabz, Tashkent – Farg’ona Valley – Tashkent and others.

Besides, a new concept is going to be introduced into the tourist practice of our country “complex object of the roadside tourism infrastructure” with the name “rabat”.

It is planned that similar objects intended for a short-term stop of tourists and travelers should include such types of services as fast food cafe, shop of first priority goods and souvenirs, water closets, business centers with phone, fax, internet, as well as car parking.

This new concept has the historical basis. In the old days “rabats” served as a link between the main cities along the trading caravan roads and considered as a hotel, some kind of “workshop” and even “wholesale base” at the same time. In the rabat it was possible to repair or change means of transportation – from “spare parts” of caravans to horses, to sell the goods in wholesale, to have a rest, and then proceeding. Rabat-i-Malik dating back to the 12th century and located near the international airport “Navoi” could be served as the example of the architectural monument of “the roadside infrastructure” in Uzbekistan.

This rabat, as well as other outstanding architectural constructions that traditionally located along the ancient caravan roads, even today evoke the genuine interest of numerous tourists.

It should be noted that the improving of the roadside service, construction of the complex objects meeting the requirements of tourists, undoubtedly, will yield certain results, having influenced to the development of domestic and incoming tourism.