Maximum Exposure’s relationship with Uzbekistan dates back more than a decade. We work collaboratively with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (Uzbektourism), other government ministries and agencies, the Embassy of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Airways, and tour operators to raise the country’s profile. Our founder, Sophie Ibbotson, wrote the best selling Bradt Travel Guides’ guidebook to Uzbekistan, which is now in its third edition. She is Uzbekistan’s Ambassador for Tourism to the UK, and a key advisor to Uzbekistan on tourism development and promotion. In 2020, President Mirziyoev awarded her the Turizm Fidoyisi Medal of Honour for services to tourism.
Maximum Exposure identifies and uses key media channels to communicate Uzbekistan’s tourism brand. We facilitated the reintroduction of the BBC to Uzbekistan in 2017, and arrange and host the majority of official press trips for international travel journalists. You can find the criteria and dates for forthcoming trips on our Press Trips page.
We also work closely with the private sector to link suppliers to their markets. This includes hosting B2B events and meetings for the travel sector, and providing images, itineraries, and other practical advice to enable tour operators and travel agents to create and promote new products.
As a result of our work, Wanderlust magazine selected Uzbekistan as their Top Emerging Destination for 2019; and Lonely Planet chose the Central Asian Silk Road — centred on Uzbekistan — as the #1 region to visit in 2020. Flight numbers have increased, Uzbekistan has introduced a visa-free regime for 86 nationalities, and key players such as TUI have entered the market with Uzbekistan tours. International tourist numbers visiting Uzbekistan doubled from 2018-19, and there has been a three-fold increase in tourists from the UK.