Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are joining forces to transform Asia’s hospitality industry
In Europe and Asia, the hospitality industry is increasingly regional, driven by digital, shared training and traveler expectations.
That same trend was evident at this year’s Horeca Expo Uzbekistan 2025, where experts from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan gathered in Tashkent to exchange ideas on how collaboration and technology are changing local service interactions.
Kazakhstan: DigitaliSation and service culture
Association of restaurants of Kazakhstan, founded in 2016, today includes 16,000 restaurants throughout the country. Its representatives say the aim has always been simple: to bring together people working in the same business – from management – and create a space where knowledge can be shared.
“We started by organizing international competitions in Almaty,” said Irina Lebedeva, financial director of the Revateurs’ Association. “After that we saw the Studateurs who needed their own platform. Everyone has a different army.
Irina Lebedeva, Financial Director of the Association of Restaurants of Kazakhstan – Euronews
This organization has been cooperating with Uzbek StudateAteurs and chefs for several years, participating in joint events and training programs.
Kazakh participants at the forum said that they are especially interested in expanding cooperation in Digital – an area where many restaurants in Kazakhstan have already started to do practical things. They explain how intelligence and automation are used to manage bookings, billing and customer feedback.
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“A restaurant today is not just about food,” said Lebedeva. “People come with emotions – how the staff are dressed, how the dishes are served, the lighting, the music. Serving good food remains.”
He added that it is automated and helps managers to track money and work remotely. “It gives you time to focus on space instead of papers,” he said.
Uzbekistan: To support travelers from the practice policy
According to Shukhrat Isakalov, the head of the Ministry of tourism development under the Ministry of Environment of Uzbekistan, one of the most important things in the country today is to help local businessmen caused by tourists and grow abroad.
Shukhrat Isakulov, head of the Ministry of Tourism Development of Tourism Under Uzbekistan’s Ecology – Euronews
“Let’s say an Uzbek businessman wants to open a restaurant in another country,” Isakulov said. “The government will support him – covering the equipment part of the cost of helping with permits, accommodation and travel of ingredients that are difficult to find abroad.”
The program, valid until 2027, provides targeted funding for resideurs who promote Uzbek cuisine around the world. It also provides financial support for the production of media content about national gastronomy. Authorities say the goal is to make Uzbek hospitality visible around the world while creating new business opportunities for local companies.
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At home, the Tourism Committee continues to invest in better training and digital services for hotels, restaurants and travel operators. By improving both skills and programs behind tourism, the government hopes to increase service levels across the entire sector.
A shared vision for regional industry
Both sides highlight that the shared culture and geographical closeness make cooperation easier. With similar languages and cultures, the fundateateurs from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan say they understand each other’s approach to the right hospitality – warm, direct and personal.
“We don’t have membership fees or closed clubs,” said Lebedeva. “If someone wants to learn and grow, the doors are open. Collaboration is what the whole industry does.”
Uzbek Bakeries display their traditional cakes and sweets – Euronews
The guests agreed that the next stage of hospitality in central Asia lies in building excellence – creating common standards of service and management while maintaining the flavor of each country.
The participants agreed that building a strong hospitality industry in Central Asia will depend on technological change, training and experience rather than competition.
In both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, cooperation has become part of everyday business practice.
