Publication Details
Abstract
The article analyses the current state and development opportunities of the tourism sector in the Republic of Karakalpakstan – Uzbekistan’s largest but least tourism-intensive region. Using official statistics of the National Statistics Committee for 2024, data of the regional tourism authority, 2025–2026 target indicators and regulatory documents, the study applies comparative regional analysis, capacity-intensity indicators, target-gap and scenario analysis, and SWOT analysis. The results show that despite rapid growth of flows (200.7 thousand foreign and over 2 million domestic tourists in 2024), the region’s tourism economy remains structurally weak: it accounts for about 2% of the country’s hotel beds, its hotel beds are used less intensively than the national average, and only a small share of visitors is captured by collective accommodation, which indicates the excursion-dominated character of demand and value leakage to neighbouring Khorezm. The article substantiates a “Nukus hub – thematic spokes” spatial model, a portfolio of priority tourism products and a set of measures to convert growing flows into regional income.