Tourism-Oriented Spatial Analysis of Tangible Cultural Heritage in Bukhara (Uzbekistan)

This study examines the spatial distribution and tourism utilization of 829 officially registered architectural heritage sites in the Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Spatial analysis methods including the Gini Index (0.569), Lorenz Curve, Nearest Neighbor Analysis, Kernel Density Estimation, and Bivariate Moran’s I were applied to examine clustering patterns and disparities across districts. The findings reveal unequal heritage distribution: over 50% of the sites are located in two districts, mainly in the eastern region, while others remain underrepresented. The Bukhara city shows strong clustering, whereas several districts exhibit random or dispersed patterns. Despite a sharp rise in tourist arrivals from 13,300 international visitors in 2020 to over 1.7 million in 2024 only 146 sites (17.6%) are actively used for tourism. This increased tourism pressure, with visitors per site growing from 1,798 to 39,351. Typological analysis showed uneven spatial patterns among major religious, administrative, residential, and public groups. Bivariate Moran’s I (I = –0.0621, p = 0.498) indicated no significant spatial correlation between population density and heritage distribution. The study recommends adopting circular tourism strategies to reduce pressure, balance regional disparities, and promote sustainable heritage-based tourism development. Findings offer a basis for balanced heritage management and tourism development in Uzbekistan with comparable regions.