Today, tourism has become a part of the foreign policy actions of states beyond being a mere economic activity. Tourism is an area that should be considered as a tool for the realization of foreign policy objectives, as well as being affected by foreign policy decisions. With this aspect, it would be appropriate to consider tourism as the sub-title of public diplomacy. As a result of being a two-way communication process, public diplomacy is also a useful tool to direct public opinion for the relations between friendly countries such as Turkey and Uzbekistan. The significant potential arising from the kinship offers important opportunities for tourism and public diplomacy activities between these two countries. However, despite this potential, the positive atmosphere which was seen in the first years of independence could not be maintained in the following years, and there was a troubled period of about twenty years in the relations between the two countries. The improvement that started in relations after these twenty years accelerated with Mirziyoyev’s becoming the president of Uzbekistan. The place of tourism in Turkey-Uzbekistan relations, which continues in a positive atmosphere today, and the public diplomacy opportunities offered by tourism is the subject of this study.

Keywords: Turkey, Uzbekistan, Public Diplomacy, Tourism.