The ceremony for awarding the III National Award of Uzbekistan in the field of hospitality was held in Tashkent. Within its framework, the best accommodation facilities in various categories were awarded, providing comprehensive comfort for tourists.

"In five to six months, we have visited all the hotels and accommodation facilities in our country. When choosing the winners, attention was paid to the services provided to customers, the degree of compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules, the conditions created, and other important aspects. The youngest employees of the accommodation facilities, restaurant staff, managers, chefs, designers, and sales directors—were also selected," said Mukhaye Khaitova, member of the jury and head of the Department of the Committee on Tourism under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change. - "Such events certainly encourage other accommodation facilities to become the best. This serves to increase the tourist attractiveness of our country and the quality of hotel services," she added.

At the ceremony, along with other nominations, accommodation facilities that meet environmental standards were awarded. In particular, the Mercure Bukhara Old Town Hotel was recognized as the "best environmentally friendly hotel in the region", and the Bukhara Desert Oasis and SPA cluster was recognized as the "best ecotourism cluster".

The general manager of the Mercure Bukhara Old Town Hotel, Rajab Klimanzade, stressed that great attention is paid to the development of eco-tourism in Uzbekistan, in particular, the introduction of environmental standards for tourists in accommodation facilities.

"Our hotel has completely abandoned single-use plastic and introduced eco-friendly and biodegradable products. We also use special bins for waste distribution and recycle them. There is a special eco-transport for hotel guests. It is worth noting that all Accor brand hotels use exclusively eco-friendly products", said R. Klimanzade.

For reference: The National Award in the field of hospitality in Uzbekistan is the first major project and a new award in the hotel business, which is awarded annually to the best accommodation facilities in various categories. The project serves to increase the tourist attractiveness of our country, strengthen the competitiveness of accommodation facilities in the domestic and global markets, and form a positive image of Uzbekistan in the international tourism market.