MOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/. The tourist flow from Russia to Uzbekistan has grown more than ten times over the recent four years to 403,000 people by the end of 2023, the Russian Economic Development Ministry's press service reported.

"Over the past four years, the number of trips to Uzbekistan by Russian tourists has increased more than tenfold from 37,000 to 403,000 people. The share of Russians in the total flow of tourists to Uzbekistan amounted to around 33% in 2023," the report said.

According to the ministry, Uzbek tourists' interest in Russia is also on the rise. In 2023, they took more than 800,000 trips to Russia, which is twice more than the previous year. The mutual tourist flow has reached the pre-pandemic figures

In his speech at the Tashkent International Investment Forum, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Volvach recalled that Russia and Uzbekistan have a visa-free regime and direct air links. Over 250 flights to Uzbekistan are carried out every week, which amounts to about 12,000 flights a year.

"Nine Russian and three Uzbek airlines provide flights. This is not the limit of our capabilities. We are currently working on increasing the number of flights and diversifying their geography, as Russians' interest in Uzbekistan is constantly growing," he emphasized.

The deputy minister named the initiative on the Eurasian Alliance of Mountain Resorts among the measures that will contribute to the further development of tourist integration between the countries. A memorandum on its creation was signed by the heads of Russian, Uzbek and Kazakh mountain resorts in the summer of 2023. Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan are also expected to join the memorandum in the near future, the ministry added.