CURRENT STATE AND CHALLENGES OF USING NATIONAL FASHION ELEMENTS IN UZBEKISTAN’S TOURISM MARKET

Abstract

National fashion elements integrated into tourism products play an important role in introducing
tourists to cultural heritage. Therefore, it is essential to study the role of regional design features of Uzbek
national costume in the formation of a destination image. Previous studies have mainly focused on tourism
development and the history of costume, while current patterns of using national fashion elements and the
challenges of their practical implementation remain insufficiently explored. This study examines the perceptions
of tourism management specialists, as well as representatives of fashion and handicraft enterprises, in order to
evaluate the characteristics of integrating national fashion elements into tourism education.
The study suggests that a well-supported training framework is necessary to develop the cultural competence
of tourism specialists and enable them to effectively integrate national fashion elements into tourism services and
destination branding. The research was conducted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Structural
Equation Modeling (SEM), based on the conceptual background of national fashion and tourism literature. A
combined quantitative approach was applied, using data collected from tourism experts and vocational trainers
involved in the integration of national fashion elements into the cultural tourism market of Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The results showed no significant differences between the perceptions of stakeholders in both groups. In
particular, no significant mean differences were found in respondents’ perceptions based on their professional
affiliation. However, the AHP priority scores for key implementation barriers indicated statistically significant
differences in the evaluation of certain factors. The study also provides theoretical and practical recommendations
for the tourism and fashion sectors. Considering Uzbekistan’s cultural diversity as a tourism destination, the
study outlines ways to provide effective institutional support for integrating national fashion elements into the
national tourism market.