MODERN MODELS OF INNOVATION-DRIVEN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: A HYBRID FRAMEWORK FOR UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

This study systematises and comparatively evaluates contemporary models of innovationdriven tourism development and develops an integrated framework adapted to the context of Uzbekistan. The analysis encompasses six complementary models: smart tourism destinations, digital platform ecosystems, experience and creative tourism, sustainable (green) innovation, open innovation and tourism clusters, and AIand data-driven management. A mixed analytical design combining a systems approach, comparative analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, structured content analysis, and SWOT analysis is applied to international and national evidence covering the period 2024–2026. The study identifies a methodological gap in existing approaches that tend to examine these models separately and proposes a hybrid framework that links innovation inputs and capabilities with destinationlevel mechanisms and measurable tourism outcomes. The findings indicate that Uzbekistan’s recent tourism development has been supported substantially by institutional and market-access innovations, while opportunities for the next stage of development are increasingly associated with enhancing quality, productivity, diversification, and sustainability alongside continued tourism growth. The proposed framework integrates digital infrastructure, smart-destination governance, experience design, AI-enabled decision-making, green transformation, and collaborative innovation, linking each component to specific implementation stages and performance indicators. The study provides an applied methodological basis for selecting and combining innovation mechanisms according to destination-specific conditions and offers practical policy recommendations for advancing innovation-driven tourism development in Uzbekistan.