THE ROLE OF ‘AFROSIYOB’ HIGH SPEED RAIL SERVICES IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF TOURIST SATISFACTION IN SAMARKAND
Keywords:
logistics, Uzbekistan, Samarkand, Afrosiyob, fast-speed train, tourist loyalty, tourist satisfactionAbstract
Transportation plays a key role in the development of tourism as it serves the main purpose in the process of travelling (Rufat Mammadov, 2012). Thus, the transportation system creates a profound impact on tourist satisfaction and loyalty. In other words, the more developed and organised the transportation system is, the more tourists feel fulfilled and loyal. In fact, there are a wide divergence of means of transportation, including air, train and road used while making local trips within Uzbekistan, however, train is recommended most (Sylvester, n.d.) and preferred widely. High-speed electric train ‘Afrosiyob’ was developed in Spain (Trains Schedule in Uzbekistan: On Afrosiyob or Sharq; Fast Train in Uzbekistan Between Cities, n.d.) and launched in Uzbekistan to travel between Samarkand and Tashkent and the reverse. This breakthrough has significantly contributed to the number of trips between cities in Uzbekistan and tourism overall
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