Uzbekistan built a $580 million tourist draw, but will they come?

Poor transport, medical services key hurdles for ambitious travel strategy

SilkRoad.JPG

A canal surrounds Uzbekistan's Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Complex. Opened in 2022, the site is at the center of efforts to draw more international visitors. (Photo by David Andreas)

RANDY MULYANTO and LEO GALUH, Contributing writers

SAMARKAND, Uzbekistan -- At a cost of $580 million, the Silk Road Samarkand Tourist Complex is a testament to Uzbekistan's ambitious goal of drawing millions more tourists, including key Chinese visitors, to the Central Asian nation.

The 260-hectare compound is a new attraction in Samarkand, an ancient city known for its mosques and buildings adorned with colorful mosaic tiles. Samarkand sits on the Silk Road, an ancient trade route that once connected Asia to the Mediterranean.

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