DUSHANBE, 14.12.2018. (NIAT Khovar) – In the first nine months of this year, the number of tourists visiting Tajikistan has increased compared to the previous year, reported the Committee for Tourism Development (CTD).

“From the beginning of January to September 30, 2018, about 123,504 Russian citizens visited Tajikistan.  That’s a 15% increase over last year,” said an official from the CTD.

Uzbekistan saw a 23% increase in the influx of Russian tourists, Kyrgyzstan and China, on the other hand, witnessed a decline of three and two percent respectively, according to TurStat, an analytics agency.

“Tajikistan had a 118% increase in the number of total tourists. Over 786,000 tourists visited the country in 2018,” added the official.

The newly implemented visa-free regime between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was a contributing factor in the rise in tourists.