The Competitiveness of Developing Educational Tourism in Uzbekistan: Regional Higher Education Leaders and Opportunities for Attracting Foreign Students

This article analyzes the regional competitiveness of the emerging educational tourism sector in Uzbekistan based on the academic capacity of higher education institutions, their positions in international university rankings, international accreditation, cooperation with foreign universities, educational programs offered in English and Russian, facilities and services for international students, and the tourism attractiveness of the regions. The study provides a comparative analysis of emerging educational tourism centers in Tashkent, Bukhara, Khiva, Urgench, Fergana, Kokand, Andijan, Namangan, and Chirchiq. Particular attention is paid to the achievements of regional higher education leaders in international rankings and accreditation systems, the multilingual nature of educational programs, and their potential to attract international students. The findings demonstrate that the competitiveness of educational tourism is determined not only by a university’s position in international rankings but also by a combination of factors, including international accreditation, language of instruction, diversity of academic programs, international cooperation, student accommodation and infrastructure, tuition and living costs, and the tourism attractiveness of the destination. The study proposes a polycentric model for the development of educational tourism across the regions of Uzbekistan.