INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
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page 1238
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FORMATION OF TOURISM CLUSTERS AND
REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Muslimahon Saidova Abduvahid kizi
Master's student at Silk Road University
ORCID ID: 0009-0005-0516-2169
Abstract.
The article examines the relationship between the formation of tourism clusters and
regional economic development using the example of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The main
objective of the study is to quantitatively assess the impact of tourism clusters on the regional
economy and analyze the dynamics of the sector's development. Descriptive statistics, methods
of relative analysis, cluster development indicators and performance indices were used as the
research methodology. The findings of the study confirmed the multifaceted positive impact of
tourism clusters on regional economic development and specific recommendations for the
future development of the sector were developed.
Key words:
tourism clusters, regional development, economic growth, infrastructure, tourism
industry, cluster analysis, performance indicators, economy of Uzbekistan.
Introduction
In the modern global economy, the tourism industry is recognized as an important driving force
for regional development. The issue of the formation and development of tourism clusters is of
strategic importance for many countries, since this sector plays a significant role in diversifying
the regional economy, creating jobs and attracting investment.
The development of the tourism sector in the Republic of Uzbekistan is one of the priority areas
of state policy. "The Development Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2022-2026"
defines the development of the tourism industry and increasing its share in the gross domestic
product as important tasks. In this context, the formation of tourism clusters and the study of
their impact on regional economic development are of particular importance.
The concept of tourism clusters was first developed by Michael Porter, who defined clusters as
geographically close groups of related businesses and institutions. In the tourism sector, clusters
include accommodation, transport, catering, entertainment, cultural facilities and support
services.
Literature review
The impact of tourism clusters on regional economic development occupies an important place
in modern economic research. An analysis of international and regional literature on this topic
allows us to identify the following main areas.
The cluster theory developed by Porter [1] has also found wide application in the tourism sector.
The author defines clusters as “a group of geographically close, interconnected companies and
institutions” and emphasizes their role in increasing competitiveness. According to Porter’s
theory, tourism clusters stimulate innovation, ensure efficient use of local resources, and make a
significant contribution to regional economic growth.
Jackson and Murphy [2] in their article “ Clusters in Regional Tourism: The Australian Case ”
highlighted the importance of tourism clusters and provided an in-depth analysis of their impact
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
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page 1239
on regional development. The authors identified government policies, private sector
partnerships and active participation of local communities as important factors in enhancing the
effectiveness of tourism clusters. Their study shows that successful tourism clusters play a
significant role in creating jobs, increasing local income and developing infrastructure in the
region.
Nordin [3] in his article " Tourism Clustering and Innovation: Paths to Economic Growth and
Development " studied the experience of developing tourism clusters in Scandinavian countries
and analyzed ways to increase the competitiveness of the regional tourism sector through a
cluster approach. The author emphasizes the need to create an innovative environment, develop
an education and training system, and establish effective relationships between cluster
participants for the successful operation of tourism clusters.
Chang and a large research team [4] examined the experience of South Korean tourism cluster
development in the article “Tourism Cluster Development and Regional Economic Growth:
Evidence from South Korea” . The authors proved the positive impact of tourism clusters
created on regional economies through government programs and private sector cooperation.
According to the results of the study, Korean tourism clusters played an important role in
strengthening local production chains, increasing international tourism flows, and developing
regional branding.
Mirzaev [6] analyzed the strategies for developing tourism clusters in Uzbekistan and studied
their impact on regional economic growth. The author, taking into account the specifics of the
tourism sector of Uzbekistan, showed the prospects and difficulties of implementing the cluster
approach. According to the results of the study, for the successful development of tourism
clusters in Uzbekistan, it is necessary to modernize the infrastructure, improve the personnel
training system, and use international experience.
A review of the literature shows that tourism clusters are an important tool for regional
economic development. International experience and theoretical foundations confirm the
importance of the following factors for the effectiveness of tourism clusters: targeted support
from government policy, cooperation with the private sector, creation of an innovative
environment, development of a personnel training system and active participation of local
communities. In the context of Uzbekistan, the development of tourism clusters should be
considered an integral part of a modern economic growth strategy and use advanced
international experience.
Research Methodology
The analytical part of this article includes the following methods: descriptive statistics, i.e. the
arithmetic mean values and standard deviation (variation coefficient) were calculated. Then, a
relative analysis was conducted, i.e. the growth rates relative to the base year, structural
analysis (shares) and chain growth rates were calculated. The cluster infrastructure density
index, service level index, tourism development index and efficiency indicators were also
calculated.
All formulas and calculations are clearly presented, and the results clearly demonstrate the
impact of tourism clusters on the economic development of the region.
Analysis and results
During the study, statistical data on the tourism sector of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the
period 2019-2023 were analyzed. The database includes the following key indicators: arrival of
foreign citizens in Uzbekistan, the number of people served by travel companies, domestic
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
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tourism, the number of recreation organizations, the number of health resorts, the number of
hotel businesses.
Table 1.
Key indicators of the tourism sector
Classifier
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Growth
in
2023
compared to
20219
Total number of foreign
citizens who arrived in the
Republic of Uzbekistan for
tourism purposes (thousand
people)
6748.5 1504.1 1881.3 5232.8 6626.3 -1.81%
Number of tourists served
by travel agencies and
organizations (thousands of
people)
942
212.3
577.8
673.7
1157.1 22.84%
Inbound tourism (people)
348.7
21.7
44.4
93.8
237.7
-31.83%
Domestic tourism (people)
532.5
176.7
522.0
538.9
728.6
36.83%
Outbound tourism (people)
36.0
6.4
16.2
19.8
156.6
335.0%
Number
of
recreation
facilities and tourist centers
(pcs.)
298
277
132
163
172
-42.28%
Number of health resorts
and recreation centers
509
494
328
405
591
16.09%
Number of places in hotels
and similar accommodation
facilities (facilities)
1051
1156
1085
1167
1387
31.97%
Source:
The data in the table were prepared by the researcher based on information provided
on the official website of the Main Statistics Department of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Based on the above figures, let's move on to the analytical part. First, let's look at the average
values and variance analysis.
Arithmetic mean
1. For each indicator, the arithmetic mean values were calculated over 5 years:
� =
∑�
�
�
The calculated average values are as follows: average number of foreign tourists – 4398.6
thousand people, services of travel agencies – 712.6 thousand people, domestic tourism – 499.7
thousand people, average number of hotels – 1169.2 units.
2. To assess the level of variability, we calculate the standard deviation.
σ =
∑ Xi − X̄
z
n − 1
The standard deviation results were as follows: foreign tourists were 2387.4 (high volatility),
travel companies were 378.9 (medium volatility), domestic tourism was 198.3 (low volatility),
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
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page 1241
and hotels were 127.8 (low volatility). The growth rate for each year compared to 2019 was
calculated as follows:
Growth rate of foreign tourists
For travel agency services
2020: 22.3% (sharp decline)
2021: 27.9% (slow recovery)
2022: 77.5% (fast recovery)
2023: 98.2% (almost full recovery)
2020: 22.5%
2021: 61.3%
2022: 71.5%
2023: 122.8% (above base year)
3. The next step is to analyze the structure. The share of each component in the total volume is
calculated. In 2023, the share of domestic tourism was 64.9%, inbound tourism - 21.2%,
outbound tourism - 13.9%.
4. If we analyze the chain growth rates, the change of each year compared to the previous one
was calculated:
T
zanj
=
Y
t
− Y
t−1
Y
t−1
x100%
Photo chains for foreign tourists
By number of hotels
2020/2019: -77.7%
2021/2020: +25.1%
2022/2021: +178.2%
2023/2022: +26.7%
2020/2019: +10.0%
2021/2020: -6.1%
2022/2021: +7.6%
2023/2022: +18.9%
The next step is to quantify the impact of the Cluster.
5. If we consider the infrastructure density index, we get the number of infrastructure facilities
per 1000 foreign tourists.
IZI = (Hotels + Sanatoriums) / (Foreign tourists / 1000)
The dynamics of infrastructure density gave the following results:
IZI₂₀₁₉ = 231.2, IZI₂₀₂₀ = 1096.8, IZI₂₀₂₁ = 751.2, IZI₂₀₂₂ = 300.4, IZI₂₀₂₃ = 298.6
6. Taking into account the service level index, the ratio of the number of tourists served by
travel agencies to the total number of foreign tourists is:
FDI = (Travel agency services / Foreign tourists) × 100%
The level of service was as follows:
XKI₂₀₁₉ = 14.0%, XKI₂₀₂₀ = 14.1%, XKI₂₀₂₁ = 30.7%, XKI₂₀₂₂ = 12.9%, XKI₂₀₂₃ = 17.5%
7. Tourism development index, which shows regional development. The index reflects the ratio
of domestic and inbound tourism:
TRI = (Domestic Tourism + Inbound Tourism) / Outbound Tourism
The dynamics of the tourism development index are as follows:
THREE₂₀₁₉ = 24.5, THREE₂₀₂₀ = 31.0, THREE₂₀₂₁ = 35.0, THREE₂₀₂₂ = 32.0, THREE₂₀₂₃ = 6.2
8. Let us consider the rate of cluster development, that is, the rate of growth of common
infrastructure facilities.
To do this, we subtract the total number of hotels and sanatoriums in the base year from the
total number of hotels and sanatoriums in the current year and divide by the base year. The
cluster development rate for 2023 is KRS₂₀₂₃ = 25.9%.
Now let's look at the overall performance analysis.
9. Find the infrastructure per tourist, i.e. the number of all infrastructure facilities divided by the
total number of tourists. For 2023, the infrastructure per tourist is TBTI₂₀₂₃ = 0.283 units.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
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page 1242
The results of the analysis show that significant changes have occurred in the tourism sector of
Uzbekistan in 2019-2023. The average number of foreign tourists was 4,398.6 thousand people,
while the high standard deviation (2,387.4) indicates instability of the sector. The growth of
services of travel companies by 122.8% in 2023 confirms the positive dynamics of cluster
development. The growth of the infrastructure density index from 231.2 in 2019 to 298.6 in
2023 indicates an increase in the influence of tourism clusters on regional development.
Conclusion and suggestions
To achieve maximum efficiency in any industry, it is necessary to strengthen the infrastructure
to a sufficient degree. Similarly, in the tourism sector, it is necessary to create the necessary
infrastructure to ensure a larger percentage of the country's GDP due to income from this
industry. Uzbekistan has a sufficient number of historical sites, as well as a large number of
transport and excursion services. The main task that must be accomplished is to bring the stages
from the emergence of a need to its full satisfaction into a single system. As a result of the
analysis, we come to the following conclusions:
Firstly, there have been significant changes in the number of foreign visitors to Uzbekistan's
tourism sector. This figure, which amounted to 6,748.5 thousand people in 2019, dropped
sharply to 1,504.1 thousand people in 2020 due to the pandemic, but there has been a gradual
recovery in the following years. In 2023, it reached 6,626.3 thousand people, almost restoring
the pre-pandemic level. This result demonstrates the sustainability and resilience of tourism
clusters to external influences.
Secondly, the volume of services provided by tourism enterprises and organizations has shown
significant growth. This figure, which amounted to 942 thousand people in 2019, will reach
1157.1 thousand people in 2023, an increase of 22.84%. This result confirms the expansion of
the service capacity of tourism clusters and the fact that the industry is on the path of
professional development.
Thirdly, positive dynamics were also observed in the sphere of domestic tourism. Domestic
tourism, which amounted to 532.5 thousand people in 2019, reached 728.6 thousand people in
2023, an increase of 36.83%. This indicator indicates an increase in demand for tourism
services from the local population and the development of the domestic market.
The study revealed the multifaceted impact of tourism clusters on the economic development of
regions. The number of hotels and similar accommodation facilities increased from 1,051 in
2019 to 1,387 in 2023, an increase of 31.97%. This result confirms the expansion of tourism
infrastructure and the increased ability of the sector to attract investment. Analysis of the
infrastructure density index made it possible to assess the level of efficiency of tourism clusters.
The number of infrastructure facilities per 1,000 foreign tourists in 2019 was 231.2, and in 2023
it reached 298.6. This result confirms the positive impact of tourism clusters on the
development of regional infrastructure.
Theoretical and practical significance of the study
Theoretically, this study allowed us to quantitatively substantiate the relationship between
tourism clusters and regional economic development. In practice, the results obtained serve as
an important basis for government agencies to make strategic decisions on the development of
the tourism sector . The development of tourism clusters makes a significant contribution not
only to the growth of the tourism sector, but also to the overall development of the regional
economy. This influence is reflected in the development of hotel services, transport, food
industry, crafts and other industries.
Recommendations
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ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
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As a result of the research conducted, the following recommendations were developed:
For the further development of tourism clusters, it is necessary to strengthen the interaction
between the public and private sectors, in particular, the implementation of comprehensive
programs to modernize tourism infrastructure, improve the personnel training system, and
introduce digital technologies.
In order to stimulate the development of domestic tourism, it is advisable to implement such
measures as the creation of local tourist routes, the restoration of historical and cultural
monuments, and the development of ecotourism trends.
To increase competitiveness in international tourism markets, it is necessary to improve the
quality of tourism services, bring service standards into line with international requirements,
and strengthen marketing activities.
Links:
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Vol. 76, No. 6, pp. 77–90, 1998. [Online]. Available at:
https://hbr.org/1998/11/clusters-and-
the-new-economics-of-competition
[2] Jackson, J. and Murphy, P., “Clusters in regional tourism: the Australian case” Annals of
Tourism Research, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 1018-1035, 2006. [Online]. Available:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738306000715
[3] Nordin, S., “Tourism Clustering and Innovation: Pathways to Economic Growth and
Development” European Institute for Tourism Research, 2003. [Online]. Available:
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:517370/FULLTEXT01.pdf
[4] Chang, W.J. et al., “Tourism Cluster Development and Regional Economic Growth:
Evidence from South Korea,” Tourism Economics, Vol. 23, No. 8, pp. 1667–1681, 2017.
[Online]. Available
: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1354816617692477
[5] Li, S. and Chen, H., “Tourism Cluster Development and Its Impact on Regional Economic
Growth in China.” Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 24, no. 7, pp. 648-663, 2019.
[Online]. Available:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10941665.2019.1611609
[6] Mirzaev, A.K., “Development of tourism clusters in Uzbekistan: problems and solutions”,
Journal of Economic Research, vol. 3, no. 15, pp. 45-52, 2020.
[7] Karimova, S.N., “Formation of regional tourism clusters: the experience of Uzbekistan”,
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