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Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the digitalization level of tour operator activities across the regions of Uzbekistan, identifying significant disparities between the capital and peripheral markets. The relevance of this research is driven by the strategic objectives of developing the country’s tourism industry and the need to bridge the digital divide between regions amid the accelerated digital transformation of the economy. Using a mixed methodological approach that includes statistical analysis of data from 247 licensed tour operators and a sociological survey of 520 tourism business representatives from all regions of the republic, the study reveals substantial differences in the level of adoption and utilization of digital technologies between the capital and peripheral territories. Quantitative analysis demonstrates that Tashkent exhibits the highest digital maturity index (DMI = 0.74), while peripheral regions lag significantly behind: Khorezm region – 0.41, Surkhandarya region – 0.38. This disparity is explained by the uneven distribution of infrastructural resources, differences in access to high-speed internet, and varying levels of workforce qualification. An econometric model using fixed-effects panel regression shows that internet penetration rate (β = 0.412, p < 0.01), investment in IT infrastructure (β = 0.287, p < 0.01), and digital literacy of personnel (β = 0.234, p < 0.01) have a statistically significant positive impact on the effectiveness of tour operators’ digital transformation. Based on the findings, practical recommendations have been developed to accelerate the digital transformation of the tourism industry, taking into account the planned launch of the Unified National Tourism Platform in 2026, aimed at reducing interregional digital inequality and enhancing the competitiveness of Uzbekistan’s tourism product in the international market.
References
Список источников
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References
Gretzel, U., Werthner, H., Koo, C., & Lamsfus, C. (2015). Conceptual foundations for understanding smart tourism ecosystems. Computers in Human Behavior, 50, 558–563.
Hjalager, A. M. (2015). Digitalisation in tourism: A review of innovations. Tourism Management Perspectives, 25, 102–118.
Tashpulatova, L. M., & Suyunova, F. B. (2024). Digital transformation in tourism: Trends, challenges, and opportunities. EPRA International Journal of Economics and Policy, 13607.
EGovernment Survey 2024. New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2024.
Tourism and Digital Transformation. Madrid: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 2021.
Uzbekistan Digital Inclusion Project (P179108). Washington, DC: World Bank Group, 2022.
Tsentr «Strategiya razvitiya». [Centre “Development strategy”] (2024). Tsifrovoye neravenstvo – bar’yer na puti razvitiya regionov Uzbekistana [Digital inequality – a barrier to the development of the regions of Uzbekistan]. URL: https://strategy.uz/index.php?lang=ru&news=2170 (Accessed on January 10, 2026). (In Russ.).
«O merakh po organizatsii deyatel’nosti Komiteta po turizmu Respubliki Uzbekistan i uskorennomu razvitiyu sfery turizma» [«On measures to organize the activities of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan and accelerated development of tourism»] Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated on November 20, 2025. URL: https://lex.uz (Accessed on January 10, 2026). (In Uz.).
Jafarova, K. K. (2025). Mechanism of digital technologies’ impact on regional tourism competitiveness: Analysis and forecasting model. American Journal of Social and Humanitarian Research, 6(12), 2827–2832.
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