This research investigates the conceptual incorporation of digital twin (DT) technology into heritage tourism management in Uzbekistan. It looks at how DT-enabled frameworks can improve the quality of tourist experiences (TEQ) and promote sustainable tourism development (STD) at the country's UNESCO-listed Silk Road heritage sites. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was utilized. Data were gathered from 320 tourism stakeholders, heritage managers, and both domestic and international tourists in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. We used multiple regression and Pearson correlation to see if the relationships we thought were true were true. Digital twin technology has a big positive impact on both the quality of the tourist experience (beta = 0.671, p < 0.001) and the growth of sustainable tourism (beta = 0.543, p < 0.001). Cultural heritage attributes positively influence these relationships. The model accounts for 58% of the variance in TEQ and 49% in STD. The research is confined to three heritage cities in Uzbekistan. Future research should encompass wider Central Asian contexts and integrate longitudinal methodologies to evaluate the temporal dynamics of digital technology adoption in transitional heritage tourism economies. As part of Uzbekistan's national tourism digitization agenda and the Digital Uzbekistan 2030 program, tourism authorities and heritage site managers should make investing in digital technology a top priority. This will help them engage visitors and manage conservation efforts. As part of Uzbekistan's national tourism digitization agenda and the Digital Uzbekistan 2030 program, tourism authorities and heritage site managers should make investing in digital technology a top priority. This will help them engage visitors and manage conservation efforts. DT technology can make heritage more accessible to everyone by using immersive digital interfaces. This includes people with mobility issues, diaspora communities, and global digital audiences. This will encourage inclusive heritage stewardship and have a bigger social impact. This study is one of the first to use digital twin technology in the context of heritage tourism in a developing Central Asian economy. It adds a new validated conceptual model to the interdisciplinary tourism-technology literature.
Publication Date: 2026-06-21