SAR passport holders can travel to both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan visa-free, but the length of stay per visit is “borderline”, according to Sunny Yip, director of Hong Kong travel agency Goldjoy Travel.
Currently, Hong Kong permanent residents can stay in Kazakhstan up to 14 days each time, and 10 days in Uzbekistan.
“These countries have a great deal of historical sites. From one site to another takes half a day or more by road,” Yip said in an interview with RTHK.
“If the countries could consider having 30 days visa-free, which is quite common for Hong Kong travellers to other countries, it would be very advantageous.”
But he said the real game-changer would be the introduction of direct flights.
Hong Kong has never had direct air services to Uzbekistan, while Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, used to operate flights between the SAR and Almaty before Covid.
Lee on Tuesday announced that a Hong Kong carrier will start operating services to Almaty from the first quarter of 2027, with more details to follow.
Sardor Nuritdinov, general director of Marco Polo Central Asia Travel in Uzbekistan, explained the importance of direct flights.
“Most number of people travelling to Uzbekistan [from Hong Kong], they are 65-plus-year-old elderly people. For them, the biggest issue for them is the flight time and extra hassle in getting to the destination,” he said.
“If there is a direct flight … it will at least increase the number of travellers to Uzbekistan in the first year already at least 10 times than what is right now.”
Yip said Hong Kong businesses can also actively participate in the development of tourism-related industries in Central Asia.
“I would expect our chief executive to encourage more Hong Kong investment into hotel sectors,” he said.
“The airports are relatively basic. Development will be important to increase capacity.”
Nuritdinov agreed, noting that while Tashkent has no shortage of five-star hotels, cities like Samarkand and Bukhara lack premium accommodation.
“Travellers from Hong Kong, they prefer more comfort compared to what can be offered in Uzbekistan at the moment in terms of accommodation,” he said.
With China emerging as a major market, Nuritdinov said Putonghua-speaking local guides remain scarce.
“The local universities are also starting to think we need to add Chinese language as a course to the classes in the university,” he said.
“But I think it’s a long way ahead. I’m thinking like five, 10 years ahead.”
Despite these challenges, both Nuritdinov and Yip see enormous potential in the region’s tourism industry. Instability in the Middle East, they say, could also drive tourists to Central Asia.
Nuritdinov recommended immersive experiences beyond historical sites, be it cooking Kazakhstan’s national dish plov with a local family, silk embroidery workshops or dance lessons.
