Uzbekistan is rapidly becoming a popular destination for Gulf visitors due to its close proximity, rich history and highly competitive prices.

Ibrahim Nalkhande, chief operating officer of the travel wing Planet Travels & Tours and the GSA for Uzbekistan Tourism in the UAE and the other GCC countries as well, said: "We are aiming to launch a standalone brochure on Uzbekistan during the Arabian Travel Market 2009, certainly prior to the super peak season of the summer.

There are also plans to increase the number of flights to Uzbekistan from the UAE." Sabirov Rakhimberdi, regional manager, Middle East, Uzbekistan Airways, told reporters at Sharjah Airport before their departure to Tashkent: "Even as we are expecting to increase the number of tourists from the UAE and the region we will be looking into increasing our flights." Presently, we have two flights each from Dubai and Sharjah each week."

Uzbekistan Airways operates B-767s and A-320’s on its primary routes. Planet Group is a conglomerate of over 11 companies with diversified business entities in the UAE and overseas. In the UAE, the company boasts a well-established chain of companies, "each complementing the other", according to Georges Moussa.