Uzbekistan tourism industry looks to tap into China as 'key player'

Uzbekistan has rolled out ambitious plans to make tourism one of the mainstays of its economy - and expects China to be a key player in the endeavor.

Uzbekistan places great importance on the Chinese market and expects the number of tourists from the country to soar, said Aziz Abdukhakimov, deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan.

His country is working on building a Chinese-friendly environment to woo tourists and investors, such as Chinese signposts, translated menus, Chinese TV channels and training local tourist guides, he said.