The business forum was attended by officials from Zagros Airline as the operator of Tehran-Tashkent direct flights which will take place on Mondays.

Talking on the tourism potentials of his country, Abdullayev said Iranian travel agencies can help promote bilateral ties between the two nations.

He also said officials from both countries are in talks to launch direct flights from Iranian cities of Isfahan, Mashhad, and Tabriz to Uzbekistan.

Abdullayev said considering the common language in Uzbek cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Termez, Iranian tourists can enjoy their visits to those cities.

Some airlines have also agreed to establish direct flights to Iran to facilitate trade between the two countries, he said.

Earlier this month, the chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Development of Uzbekistan said that Iran was a good tourism market with a population of over 80 million, adding that historical cities in both countries will enjoy direct flight routes soon.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the 25th Tashkent International Tourism Fair (TITF 2019) – “Tourism on the Silk Road”, Abdulaziz Akkulov said a project was taken by both embassies of two countries to promote trade and tourism cooperation.

According to the talks, in the course of the next year, four Iranian cities, namely Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz and Tehran will start direct flights to Uzbek cities, which will be operated by Iran’s Zagros Airline, noted the official, adding that in the first step, the Bishkek-Tehran flight route will be launched.

Akkulov went on to say that Iran and Uzbekistan have suitable infrastructure which could help build a tourism bridge within the coming year.

TITF, which is the brightest, largest event in the tourism industry of Uzbekistan and the entire Central Asian region was held on November 13-15 in a total exhibition area of more than 10,000 square meters in the exhibition pavilions of Uzexpocenter.

The expo is held every year with official support from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for the implementation of the Great Silk Road transcontinental project since 1994.

TITF is an effective information platform for promoting tourism products and establishing business contacts. It allows leading experts in the field to exchange experiences, discuss current tourism problems, and introduce new directions. Leading experts normally announce pricing policies, discuss current tourism issues, and open up new directions.

Attracting hundreds of foreign tour operators including Iranian representatives of the tourism business, it is TITF that determines the potential of inbound tourism and provides a showcase on tourist opportunities in Uzbekistan. The exhibition demonstrates the development opportunities of Uzbekistan as a promising tourist region of Central Asia and the CIS.

The main goal of the fair is a visual representation of the entire tourism potential of the region, the implementation and promotion of tourism services by leading tour companies, hotel complexes, tourism agencies of regions and foreign countries.

Every year, dozens of international travel companies interested in Uzbekistan, as in a profitable destination, become its participants.

Presentation stalls of regions of Uzbekistan were erected in the National Pavilion, demonstrating features of the national culture and tourism potential of each region of Uzbekistan.

All days of the exhibition featured performances of folklore-ethnographic ensembles of Uzbekistan, a festival of national cuisine and a demonstration of handicrafts in a specialized city of artisans.