Uzbekistan, a popular holiday spot in Central Asia, is offering a NZ$4500 payout to visitors who contract COVID-19 while visiting the country.
This is despite announcing a nationwide lockdown from July 10.
The Uzbekistan: Safe Travel Guaranteed campaign promises to repay visitors $4500 if they become infected with the virus.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the decree on June 23, hoping to increase the flow of foreign tourists.
The $4500 is equivalent to the estimated cost of medical care citizens would receive for free if they had the virus.
Sophie Ibbotson Uzbekistan’s official Tourism Ambassador said in a statement on June 8, the campaign was to "reassure" tourists.
"The Government is so confident that the new safety and hygiene measures being implemented across the tourism sector will protect tourists from COVID-19, that the President is prepared to put money where his mouth is: if you get COVID-19 on holiday in Uzbekistan, we will compensate you.”
The country has since announced a second nationwide lockdown for three weeks, closing its borders until August 1.
Under the new restrictions, travel between regions will be restricted, the movement of vehicles will be limited and large gatherings, including weddings are banned, while funerals will be limited to 15 guests.
On June 1, the country had recorded only 3,702 cases, but by the end of the month, the number had more than doubled to over 8,000.
The overall number of COVID-19 cases has reached almost 15,000 as of July 17, and there are concerns this number will rise.
