Digitally-Enabled Community Agritourism As A Pathway To Rural Income In The Aral Sea Region: A Conceptual Approach

Tourism in Uzbekistan is developing rapidly, and there are significant opportunities to furtherincrease revenue generated per tourist. This paper argues that organizing agritourism as an interconnectedcommunity network and promoting it through a digital platform represents an effective way to realize theseopportunities in the Aral Sea region (the Republic of Karakalpakstan), an area with unique ecologicalcharacteristics and strong potential for further tourism infrastructure development. Drawing on existing researchdemonstrating the significant impact of digital platforms on increasing the visibility of rural tourism services, thepaper proposes a community-based digital agritourism model in which authentic rural experiences provided bylocal residents are integrated, booked, and promoted through a state–private partnership digital platform whilealso enabling tourists to connect with one another. The study is conceptual in nature and focuses on developinga new approach and directions for future research. The paper proposes a transferable model capable oftransforming the existing tourism potential of peripheral regions in Central Asia into increased income for ruralcommunities.