Marketing Attractiveness Of Bukhara Region And The Factors Shaping It

Abstract

Amid intensifying competition among regions, a territory’s ability to attract investment, tourist flows, entrepreneurial projects, skilled human resources, and consumers is determined not only by the availability of economic, natural, historical, and cultural resources but also by the effectiveness with which these resources are transformed into marketable offerings that meet demand. This study aims to clarify the concept of regional marketing attractiveness, systematize the factors shaping it, and identify the specific features of the marketing positioning of Bukhara Region through an analysis of its socioeconomic development. The findings indicate that in 2025, the gross regional product of Bukhara Region reached UZS 86.6 trillion, representing an increase of 7.2%; industrial output grew by 7.1%, agricultural production by 4.3%, market services by 14%, retail trade by 9.2%, and exports by 32.8%. At the same time, the analysis revealed a decline in fixed capital investment, a substantial foreign trade deficit, a high territorial concentration of services in the city of Bukhara, and insufficient representation of the districts in the region’s overall marketing image. Seven groups of factors influencing regional marketing attractiveness were identified: resource and identity-related, economic and market, production and export, tourism and service, transport and infrastructure, institutional and entrepreneurial, and digital and communication factors. The study proposes directions for moving beyond Bukhara’s predominantly tourism-oriented image towards the comprehensive positioning of the region as a historical and cultural, industrial, investment, export, and entrepreneurial territory.