Prior to my trip to Uzbekistan, I knew virtually nothing about the country. I knew its location on a map, the capital’s name, and the greater historical context surrounding Central Asia as a whole, but when it came to Uzbekistan itself, I would always draw a blank when it came to the people, cities, and natural environment. The “destination image” – that is, how a place is generally perceived by potential visitors – was practically nonexistent for me, as I had no idea where I would be going nor what the experience would even be like. For people who have never been to Uzbekistan, I imagine they would find themselves in the same boat.
Having been part of the Soviet Union for the larger part of the 20th century, and a collection of Imperial Russian vassal khanates in centuries prior to that, Uzbekistan is a country that remains relatively unknown to the west (since the US is on the complete opposite side of the planet). As such, when Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991, officials were given the rather significant task of announce their country to the rest of the world. They would restore ancient buildings, fill museums with pieces from their country’s history, and effectively rebrand these historic places into attractions that tourists would like to visit. This includes social media campaigns on sites such as Instagram, which would spread the images far and wide to the rest of the world. In time, the Uzbekistani tourism industry hopes to make major Silk Road landmarks iconic to their country, in much the same way the Eiffel Tower is associated with Paris, and the Colosseum is with Rome. This is a project that Uzbekistan has invested a lot into, to make sure these images find their way onto the internet and into the minds of anyone who might find a passing curiosity in the country at the center of Central Asia.
And of course, this campaign now includes me. As a former tourist of Uzbekistan on the internet, I am here to show you all my cool photos. How successful has Uzbekistan’s tourism campaign been at creating a destination image? I’ll analyze these images for you here in relation to Uzbekistan’s tourism campaign, and perhaps give you a little sneak peek of the Silk Road.
The destination image article (which I have cited at the bottom of this page) splits the concept of a destination image into three broad categories: Heritage/Sightseeing, Nature/People, and Entertainment/Recreational. Heritage/Sightseeing is, as stated in the article, the main one promoted by official websites, making up 47% of their chosen sample. Type “Uzbekistan” into any search engine or social media platform, and the most likely results you’ll see are historical buildings. The Registan, in particular, seems to be a big focus, as it is the central square of Samarkand and looks rather impressive. Our group saw a light and music show there late at night, which was really cool.
The other big attractions you’re likely to see on the internet are the Kalta Minor Minaret of Khiva, which was famously unfinished by the original architect, and Kalyan Minaret of Bukhara, which was famous for surviving the likes of Genghis Khan, the Bolsheviks, and other conquerors of the region. These buildings are very impressive, and there has clearly been a lot of effort into restoring the surrounding “old cities” into bustling tourist traps, with restaurants, hotels, and souvenirs everywhere in sight.
I took photos at each of these locations, which means the Uzbekistani tourism industry caught me hook, line, and sinker. Were I to post on Instagram (though I normally don’t), I would most certainly include these pictures.
However, as suggested by the article, I also behaved like a tourist in the sense that I also took a lot of pictures of nature, animals, and landscapes, which were largely absent from Uzbekistan’s official websites. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, the feverishly hot, desert environment is vastly different from what I’m used to. Thus, seeing this kind of landscape left a big impact on me! But I guess the official websites regarded it as nothing special, which I consider an oversight on their part.
The environmental catastrophe caused by the drying of the Aral Sea made for one of the most memorable stops in our entire journey. The sea’s disappearance, brought about by Soviet irrigation projects that diverted the water to cotton plantations, remains an urgent matter for environmentalists and I think it’s a situation many more people, including tourists, should know about. It’s unclear why this is absent from a lot of the official sites, but the article suggests the ecological disaster is likely something Uzbekistan isn’t proud of when it comes to advertising themselves.
On a happier note, I took many pictures of animals. Some were ones that weren’t part of Uzbekistan’s branding at all, like peacocks in an old Bukharan palace, and a random cat we found in some old ruins. The camel, however, is everywhere on signs and merchandise related to Uzbekistan, and I got to take a picture with one at a tourist spot. The image of a camel is something I now associate greatly with Uzbekistan, and while this wasn’t in any city it ties in nicely with the Silk Road attractions we visited.
So, was Uzbekistan successful in creating a destination image for tourists? Well, I’d say it’s a mixed bag. The major restored sites I mentioned in Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara are absolutely a success. Other tour groups were everywhere, mostly from Russia, but I also heard French and German, and even spotted a Slovakian flag. On top of that, all these attractions exist independently of the Soviet past, focusing more on earlier empires. But I believe there is progress to be made, as Uzbekistan has seemingly neglected its environment in favor of the Silk Road landmarks. The Aral Sea, in particular, appears to be something Uzbekistan is trying to sweep under the rug, even though the pressing ecological situation makes it arguably the most important place tourists would want to visit.
That said, I think Uzbekistan has made great strides in building a destination image, and in time people from all around the world will flock to see this fascinating country for themselves.
-Adrian
Works Cited:
Kamoliddin Fayzullaev, Susanna Heldt Cassel & Daniel Brandt (2021) Destination image in Uzbekistan – heritage of the Silk Road and nature experience as the core of an evolving Post Soviet identity, The Service Industries Journal, 41:7-8, 446-461, DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2018.1519551
