Photo: zamon.uz
Central Asia posted the world's strongest tourism growth in 2025, outpacing the other regions in the World Travel & Tourism Council's (WTTC) 13-group global breakdown on most indicators, according to a report by the organization.
The WTTC groups four countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — under «Central Asia.» The report provides no country-by-country breakdown, only aggregate figures for the group, and it excludes Turkmenistan entirely.
Robust tourism development across the four republics propelled the region to the top of most growth rankings. Travel and tourism's contribution to GDP rose 17.7%, while spending by foreign visitors climbed 26.4%.
Central Asia ranked third only in investment growth, trailing South Asia and the Middle East.
The WTTC notes that these rankings reflect growth rates rather than absolute figures — by the latter measure, Central Asia is actually near the bottom. That gap stems largely from how the groups are composed: the «Central Asia» category comprises just four former Soviet republics, compared with, for instance, 23 states and territories in the «Caribbean» group.
By absolute measures, tourism contributed a combined $20.1 billion to Central Asian economies last year, versus more than $3 trillion for the top-ranked group, North America. Tourist spending told a similar story: Central Asia's $9.9 billion put it last, far behind the European Union's $619 billion.
WTTC's decade-ahead forecast points to a slowdown for Central Asia relative to its rivals. Within a few years, the region is expected to lose its lead in every category, including the growth-rate rankings, as the Middle East, South Asia, and Northeast Asia take over as the top performers.
