Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Leading influencers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries visited Uzbekistan and met with Deputy Prime Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Aziz Abdukhakimov at the Silk Road International Tourism University in Samarkand.

Communicating with bloggers, Aziz Abdukhakimov spoke about the reforms in the field of tourism in Uzbekistan and about the large-scale work carried out on the eve of the SCO summit in order to reflect the spirit of Samarkand.

Influencers visited cities such as Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand, where they personally witnessed changes in the industry, highly appreciating the ongoing reforms.

“For me, the invitation to Uzbekistan was a big surprise. For a very long time I dreamed of visiting this blessed land, the crossroads of history, with a magnificent heritage of architecture and incredibly hospitable people. The potential for the development of the tourism industry is simply enormous. I was struck by the magnificent modern Silk Road International University: any proposals from the leadership here come directly to the minister. This is the dream of the rector of any university. For the development of both the university itself and tourism in general, this is a wonderful resource. All roughness and shortcomings in the field will be eliminated by general Reforms in the tourism sector are hard to miss - roads are getting better, Samarkand has a great airport, thoughtful logistics. The city is doomed to become a tourism center, because from here you can drive 2 hours to Tashkent, 1.5 to Bukhara. I’m going to come here again with friends who were already interested in my trip report," says Vladimir Dervenev, a representative of the Russian Federation, a member of the World Club of Petersburgers and the Russian Geographical Community. During the visit, he presented the library of the Silk Road International University of Tourism with a book of his authorship, The City Speaks.

The representative of Kyrgyzstan, the well-known blogger Adelet Nogoibaev, also shared his impressions of Uzbekistan.

“I love to travel, shoot delicious food and talk about other cities. For me, Samarkand and Bukhara are new discoveries. Although I often visit Uzbekistan, I have not been to these cities yet.

When I arrived in Samarkand, I was amazed not only by the historical monuments, but also by the fact that the "Eternal City" was built here right in the heart of Samarkand. I really liked the trains, every city has an airport. You can come in any convenient way. I travel every month and notice such moments.

“I like that the ancient cities are not conserved here, but a new tourist infrastructure is being created, new facilities are constantly being built. I wish you success and I am sure that I will find something new here when I come back to Uzbekistan,” says Nogoibaev.

Nogoibaev also commented on the visit to the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage.

“At the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, I liked the design and convenience of each audience. I’m sure we need to learn from your experience," says Nogoibaev.

Nogoibaev also thanked the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage for the opportunity to visit Samarkand, meet bloggers from other countries, and gain new experience.

“Thanks to the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, I enjoyed the history of these ancient cities. I would like to come back here with my wife for a romantic trip. A lot of things I haven’t seen yet, specially left for the next time! Our people from Kyrgyzstan highly appreciated the hospitality of Uzbekistan and the work of the Ministry. It’s great that it works closely with journalists, influencers, bloggers. I hope this is not the last such tour. I am very glad to meet my colleagues from other countries. Iran, Pakistan, India - it turns out that Uzbekistan rallied us and it turned out to be an excellent networking. In our memory, we still have the cities in which we met, and now we are going to travel to each other.