Samarkand eyes MICE business with world-class offerings

Samarkand in Uzbekistan has launched a new website, to highlight its latest MICE offerings. The country has invested over US$580 m in world-class MICE infrastructure in the city, including the 260-hectare Silk Road Samarkand complex and a new terminal at Samarkand International Airport.

The new website is a one-stop-shop for MICE planners and publicises upcoming MICE events in the city, featuring event venue and accommodation options, and recommending places for sightseeing in the city.

The flagship venue in Samarkand, Congress Centre, overlooks a rowing canal, and has 12 conference halls and meeting rooms. Since its opening, it has already hosted high-profile international events for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), among others. The UNWTO General Assembly will take place there from 16-20 October 2023.

“Until recently, Samarkand has been seen solely as a cultural tourism destination, attracting visitors to its UNESCO World Heritage Sites,” said Sophie Ibbotson, Uzbekistan’s Tourism ambassador. “With the investment in MICE facilities and business hotels, we are seeing a shift in focus, and the diversified tourism offering and new Samarkand International Airport terminal are already enabling rapid growth in tourist arrivals and receipts.”

Samarkand is positioned to host MICE events which would previously have been held in Russia or Ukraine. Uzbekistan is visa-free for 90 nationalities, and it is one of the world’s safest tourism destinations, and is well-connected by air and rail to destinations across Europe and Asia.

With growing demand from business travellers, high-end hotels have opened in the past 18 months, including several international brands. These hotels include the 5-star Samarkand Regency, which is the first Central Asian member of the Leading Hotels of the World group; the 5-star Movenpick Samarkand; the 5-star Silk Road by Minyoun and 4-star Lia! by Minyoun; the 4-star Hilton Garden Inn Samarkand; and four 4-star hotels belonging to the Wellness Park group.

Together, these hotels have increased the city’s room capacity with 1,200 new rooms in the Silk Road Samarkand complex alone, and they offer a wide range of facilities, including restaurants and bars, spa and fitness centres, and more event spaces.

Visitors can fly direct to Samarkand from cities such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Istanbul, Moscow, and Tel Aviv. The city is also linked by high-speed train services to Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, and the UNESCO-listed city of Bukhara, both of which have their own international airports.