DUSHANBE, September 8, Asia-Plus - By the end of the year a number of tourists visiting Tajikistan will have reached 40,000 people, Economy and Trade Minister, Hakim Soliyev, remarked at a forum of Persian-speaking peoples in Dushanbe on September 7. 

According to him, a number of those wanting to visit Tajikistan will increase year out.  “In the near future, Tajikistan will launch new air routes to stimulate further development of tourism,” the minister said, noting that one of new flights will be operated to Bangkok.  

In the meantime, according to information from the Ministry of Economy and Trade, 14,612 tourists from Europe, Russia, Asia and America have visited Tajikistan over the first six months of the year.  

“Revenue Tajikistan received from tourism last year amounted to US$7 million,” said Hakim Soliyev, “This year, we expect this sum to triple.” 

According to experts from the Ministry of Economy and Trade, foreign tourists visiting Tajikistan are interested mainly in mountain tourism.  “Tajikistan could successfully compete with other countries of Central Asia, where tourism and relevant industries are well developed, while the main factor impeding development of tourism in our country is quite banal – it is laziness and unwillingness of our people to work,” the source claimed.   

According to information from the Ministry of Economy and Trade, over the past several years, the private sector has invested more than US$500,000 in rehabilitation of resort zones in Romit and Varzob gorges.  “Though prices of having the rest Tajikistan will continue to rise year in following increase in prices of fuel and food products, our prices will remain for foreign tourists more moderate than prices in neighboring countries,” the source said.