Abstract
<jats:p> This article analyzes the issues of introducing digital technologies and “Smart” management systems into the development of pilgrimage tourism, which is a strategic direction of the tourism industry in Uzbekistan. During the study, based on the growth dynamics of statistical indicators and the results of a sociological survey, existing infrastructural and socio-environmental problems of the sector were identified. The article conceptually justifies the four pillars of the “Smart Model” (Big Data, E-Participation, Smart Utility, Digital Marketplace) aimed at reducing the load on pilgrimage sites, increasing local incomes, and ensuring management efficiency. Also, based on the synthesis of international experience, scientific proposals and recommendations for the transformation of pilgrimage tourism into a digital ecosystem have been developed. </jats:p>