Uzbekistan, UN Tourism Expand Regional Cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan and UN Tourism have agreed to further strengthen their strategic partnership and expand joint tourism projects, with a focus on regional tourism routes and tourism safety initiatives.

The agreements were reached during a working meeting between Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee Abdulaziz Akkulov and UN Tourism Executive Director Xu Jing Liu.

The two sides noted the high level of current cooperation and reaffirmed their intention to continue implementing joint initiatives. During the talks, Uzbekistan was described as one of the organization’s most active members, consistently promoting tourism projects, including the Tourism on the Silk Road thematic office in Samarkand and the development of the International Tourism Academy.

The parties also highlighted an April meeting with the organization’s Secretary-General, which they said confirmed the positive momentum in bilateral cooperation.

One of the key topics discussed was preparations for signing a Joint Action Plan that will outline practical steps for cooperation in the coming period. Particular attention was paid to the further development of the Tourism on the Silk Road office in Samarkand as a regional platform for coordinating tourism initiatives.

Another major focus of the talks was the promotion of the Central Asia Tourist Ring project, aimed at developing cross-border tourism routes. Under the initiative, citizens of more than 60 countries would be able to visit Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan within a single trip, laying the foundation for a unified regional tourism space.

The sides also discussed implementation of the International Code for the Protection of Tourists proposed by Uzbekistan. In this regard, they agreed to hold the second meeting of the intergovernmental committee, finalize preparations for the draft document and submit it for consideration by the organization’s governing bodies. A proposal was also made to include the issue on the agenda of the Executive Council.

Additional attention was given to preparations for the International Year of Sustainable Tourism, scheduled for 2027. The parties discussed the possibility of establishing a joint working group to coordinate organizational and substantive aspects of the preparations.

Following the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their mutual interest in deepening cooperation and implementing projects aimed at developing sustainable, safe and integrated tourism across Central Asia.