Organization of Turkic States attaches utmost importance to cooperation in the field of tourism among its Member States. It is considered that the tourism potential of the Member States has a privileged place in the multidimensional and in-depth cooperation process created within the framework of OTS. To this end, 8 Ministerial and 18 Working Group Meetings were held since the establishment.
As a sign of given significance to the collaboration in the field of tourism, the theme of the 4th Organization of Turkic States Summit, which was held in Bodrum in 2014 dedicated to “Tourism Cooperation”. Following the Bodrum Summit, the efforts to increase cooperation in this field gained momentum. These efforts mainly focused on the transformation of the historical Silk Road into an attractive tourism destination. In this regard, upon the instruction of the Presidents of the Member States given at the Bodrum Summit, the Secretariat developed the Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Package. The Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Package Project and its materialization as a unique tour package offering an unprecedented opportunity for tourists visiting the Member States constitute the cornerstone of the activities carried out under this cooperation item. The promising role of the Joint Tour Package in increasing the flow of tourists among the Turkic Speaking States and its eventual support for boosting touristic visits from the third parties to these countries present a significant dimension of this project.
Carrying out joint vocational training presents the cornerstone of cooperation among the Member States in the field of tourism. With the facilitation of the Secretariat, until now, more than 1,000 experts received vocational training on the service sector for tourism employees of the Member States in coordination with relevant Ministries and tourism associations. This capacity-building initiative became subject to several UN reports with its consideration as a best practice for the achievement of SDGs.
The Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Package’s destination is designed to follow the landmarks of the cultural and historical heritage of the Silk Road through the Member States. Through the 15 day-trip, tourists would have a unique and adventurous experience. It aims to bring tourists together with the unique cultural, spiritual, historical and gastronomic life of the traditional Silk Road. This joint package will pave the way to increase the flow of tourists among the Turkic States and also boost the touristic visits from third parties to these countries. The Secretariat keeps on promoting the Joint Tour Package. In that regard, Organization of Turkic States delegations are participating worldwide known prominent tourism fairs. The joint tour package is considered as a best practice to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to boost South-South cooperation is ready to be experienced by tourist from the Turkic Speaking States and all over the world. The Secretariat prepared the website of the package (www.modernsilkroadtour.com).
The 6th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States was convened on 24 June 2021 in Kokand, Uzbekistan. As the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting, the Ministers agreed to launch the “Turkic World Tourism Capital” project in order to promote tourism in the region, in which one of the cities from the Member States will be designated as “Turkic WorldTourism Capital” annually. At the end of the Meeting, the city of Kokand was announced as the first “Turkic World Tourism Capital” until the next Ministerial Meeting on Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States. In this regard, international conferences and various events were held in Kokand with the participation of the public sector, civil society, private sector, academia and other relevant actors from the Member States to promote tourism in the city, as well as promote the city in the Member States and the region. Ministers in Charge of Tourism exchanged experience, information and the precautions taken by the Member States for the safe travel of the tourists during the pandemic; discussed the current tourism relations among the Member States and ways to carry forward the cooperation in the sphere of tourism, as well as prospective plans in the post-pandemic period. Ministers agreed to work on the details of the “Tabarruk Ziyarat” project and expressed their readiness to involve the holy places of the respective countries in the project. Parties consented to prepare the “Tourism Map of the Turkic World” to list the main historical, cultural and touristic destinations in the Turkic World, which will be the reference project in determining the main touristic destinations in the Member States.
Recently, the 7th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States was convened on 23-24 May 2022 in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. As the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting, the Parties adopted the regulation on the “Turkic World Tourism Capital”, which presents the general framework for the said program and agreed that Shamakhi will be the Turkic World Tourism Capital for the year 2023, in which various activities, conferences, festivals and other projects will be carried out. Parties further agreed to establish an ad-hoc working group consisting of Ministries of Tourism, Ministries of Transport, and other stakeholders to discuss the opportunities of increasing the number of flights among the major cities of the Member and Observer States. In order to conduct the prospective projects systematically and within a timeframe, Heads of Delegations adopted the joint roadmap, which includes various events, exhibitions, festivals, contests, games, training programs, touristic tours and programs with the aim to contribute to the tourism sectors of the Member and Observer States. 8th Ministerial Meeting on Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States will be held in Turkestan city of Kazakhstan in 2023.
An international conference entitled \"The Role of the Kokand Khanate in the Development of Statehood and Cultural Heritage of the Turkic peoples\" was organized in Kokand on June 8-10, 2022 by the Organization of Turkic States and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan in close cooperation with a number of higher education institutions of Uzbekistan. Hosted by Kokand University, the event was organized within the framework of the “Tabarruk Ziyarat” \"initiative put forward by the President of Uzbekistan H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Turkistan Summit and in line with the announcement of Kokand as the \"Tourism Capital of the Turkic World\". The opening session was followed by four thematic sessions dedicated to the history of the Kokand Khanate, where scholars presented their scientific analyses and findings and held extensive discussions on various aspects of political, economic and cultural life.
Another event in this framework was the Tourism Forum on the implementation of the pilot project \"Tabarruk Ziyarat\" between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan held on 3-4 October 2022 in Turkistan. The forum was attended by the experts from the ministries and agencies in charge of tourism, customs, migration control and border protection, local administrations as well as tour companies from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The participants were briefed about the tourism potential of Turkistan, Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara and exchanged views on the current state and prospects for the development of pilgrimage tourism and the existing barriers for the effective implementation of the “Tabarrok ziyorat” project. The Forum was continued with the signing ceremony of the bilateral documents between the tourism departments of the administrations of Turkistan and Samarkand, tour operators of the two countries and the International University of Tourism and Hospitality in Turkistan.
During the Samarkand Summit the Heads of State appreciated the activities and events organized by the Republic of Uzbekistan in Kokand, the 1st “Turkic World Tourism Capital” during 2022; and welcome the declaration of Shamakhi as the Turkic World Tourism Capital for the year 2023; supported the outcomes of the 7th Meeting of the Ministers in charge of Tourism of the OTS held on 24 May 2022 in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan; and instruct to ensure implementation of the “Tabarruk Ziyorat”, “Best Tourism Villages of the Turkic States” as well as establishing cooperation in developing winter and golf tourism in the Member and Observer States; commended the outcomes of the Forum on the implementation of the pilot project “Tabarruk Ziyorat” with the participation of government agencies and tour companies of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan held on October 3-4, 2022 in Turkistan; and instruct the relevant institutions of the Member States to take necessary measures for facilitating the soonest implementation of the pilot project and extending it towards the other Member and Observer States; instructed the relevant authorities of the Member States to coordinate their efforts to compile joint nomination files regarding the Silk Road World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination as well as to promote the “Organization of Turkic States’ Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Project” with necessary means including the national and international tourism exhibitions.
Tourism Training Program of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was organized on 7-12 May 2023 in Hungary with the participation of the representatives of the public and private sector of the Member States. The program was held in line with the decisions taken at the 7th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism Affairs of the OTS and hosted by the Hungarian Tourism Agency. During the program, tourism professionals from the Member States visited the cities of Budapest, Veszprem, Balatonfüred, Sümeg, Keszthely and Heviz of Hungary and were informed by the Hungarian officials regarding the best practices and developments on the site.
Eventually, 8th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States convened on 11 October 2023 in the city of Turkistan, Kazakhstan. At the meeting, Parties discussed issues related to increasing the number of flights among the Member and Observer States, revealing the potential of the Silk Road Tourism, implementation of the “Turkic World Tourism Capital” and Tabarruk Ziyarat projects, launch of the new website namely www.turkicsilkroad.com, training programs and other issues related to the tourism cooperation agenda within the OTS. At the meeting, upon the proposal of the Kazakh side, parties declared city of Turkistan as the “Turkic World Tourism Capital” for the year 2024 and endorsed the Roadmap which includes various conferences, festivals and other activities to be organized next year in Turkistan.
Parties also agreed to hold the 9th Ministerial Meeting on Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States in Kyrgyzstan in 2024.
As a sign of given significance to the collaboration in the field of tourism, the theme of the 4th Organization of Turkic States Summit, which was held in Bodrum in 2014 dedicated to “Tourism Cooperation”. Following the Bodrum Summit, the efforts to increase cooperation in this field gained momentum. These efforts mainly focused on the transformation of the historical Silk Road into an attractive tourism destination. In this regard, upon the instruction of the Presidents of the Member States given at the Bodrum Summit, the Secretariat developed the Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Package. The Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Package Project and its materialization as a unique tour package offering an unprecedented opportunity for tourists visiting the Member States constitute the cornerstone of the activities carried out under this cooperation item. The promising role of the Joint Tour Package in increasing the flow of tourists among the Turkic Speaking States and its eventual support for boosting touristic visits from the third parties to these countries present a significant dimension of this project.
Carrying out joint vocational training presents the cornerstone of cooperation among the Member States in the field of tourism. With the facilitation of the Secretariat, until now, more than 1,000 experts received vocational training on the service sector for tourism employees of the Member States in coordination with relevant Ministries and tourism associations. This capacity-building initiative became subject to several UN reports with its consideration as a best practice for the achievement of SDGs.
The Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Package’s destination is designed to follow the landmarks of the cultural and historical heritage of the Silk Road through the Member States. Through the 15 day-trip, tourists would have a unique and adventurous experience. It aims to bring tourists together with the unique cultural, spiritual, historical and gastronomic life of the traditional Silk Road. This joint package will pave the way to increase the flow of tourists among the Turkic States and also boost the touristic visits from third parties to these countries. The Secretariat keeps on promoting the Joint Tour Package. In that regard, Organization of Turkic States delegations are participating worldwide known prominent tourism fairs. The joint tour package is considered as a best practice to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to boost South-South cooperation is ready to be experienced by tourist from the Turkic Speaking States and all over the world. The Secretariat prepared the website of the package (www.modernsilkroadtour.com).
The 6th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States was convened on 24 June 2021 in Kokand, Uzbekistan. As the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting, the Ministers agreed to launch the “Turkic World Tourism Capital” project in order to promote tourism in the region, in which one of the cities from the Member States will be designated as “Turkic WorldTourism Capital” annually. At the end of the Meeting, the city of Kokand was announced as the first “Turkic World Tourism Capital” until the next Ministerial Meeting on Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States. In this regard, international conferences and various events were held in Kokand with the participation of the public sector, civil society, private sector, academia and other relevant actors from the Member States to promote tourism in the city, as well as promote the city in the Member States and the region. Ministers in Charge of Tourism exchanged experience, information and the precautions taken by the Member States for the safe travel of the tourists during the pandemic; discussed the current tourism relations among the Member States and ways to carry forward the cooperation in the sphere of tourism, as well as prospective plans in the post-pandemic period. Ministers agreed to work on the details of the “Tabarruk Ziyarat” project and expressed their readiness to involve the holy places of the respective countries in the project. Parties consented to prepare the “Tourism Map of the Turkic World” to list the main historical, cultural and touristic destinations in the Turkic World, which will be the reference project in determining the main touristic destinations in the Member States.
Recently, the 7th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States was convened on 23-24 May 2022 in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan. As the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting, the Parties adopted the regulation on the “Turkic World Tourism Capital”, which presents the general framework for the said program and agreed that Shamakhi will be the Turkic World Tourism Capital for the year 2023, in which various activities, conferences, festivals and other projects will be carried out. Parties further agreed to establish an ad-hoc working group consisting of Ministries of Tourism, Ministries of Transport, and other stakeholders to discuss the opportunities of increasing the number of flights among the major cities of the Member and Observer States. In order to conduct the prospective projects systematically and within a timeframe, Heads of Delegations adopted the joint roadmap, which includes various events, exhibitions, festivals, contests, games, training programs, touristic tours and programs with the aim to contribute to the tourism sectors of the Member and Observer States. 8th Ministerial Meeting on Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States will be held in Turkestan city of Kazakhstan in 2023.
An international conference entitled \"The Role of the Kokand Khanate in the Development of Statehood and Cultural Heritage of the Turkic peoples\" was organized in Kokand on June 8-10, 2022 by the Organization of Turkic States and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan in close cooperation with a number of higher education institutions of Uzbekistan. Hosted by Kokand University, the event was organized within the framework of the “Tabarruk Ziyarat” \"initiative put forward by the President of Uzbekistan H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Turkistan Summit and in line with the announcement of Kokand as the \"Tourism Capital of the Turkic World\". The opening session was followed by four thematic sessions dedicated to the history of the Kokand Khanate, where scholars presented their scientific analyses and findings and held extensive discussions on various aspects of political, economic and cultural life.
Another event in this framework was the Tourism Forum on the implementation of the pilot project \"Tabarruk Ziyarat\" between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan held on 3-4 October 2022 in Turkistan. The forum was attended by the experts from the ministries and agencies in charge of tourism, customs, migration control and border protection, local administrations as well as tour companies from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The participants were briefed about the tourism potential of Turkistan, Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara and exchanged views on the current state and prospects for the development of pilgrimage tourism and the existing barriers for the effective implementation of the “Tabarrok ziyorat” project. The Forum was continued with the signing ceremony of the bilateral documents between the tourism departments of the administrations of Turkistan and Samarkand, tour operators of the two countries and the International University of Tourism and Hospitality in Turkistan.
During the Samarkand Summit the Heads of State appreciated the activities and events organized by the Republic of Uzbekistan in Kokand, the 1st “Turkic World Tourism Capital” during 2022; and welcome the declaration of Shamakhi as the Turkic World Tourism Capital for the year 2023; supported the outcomes of the 7th Meeting of the Ministers in charge of Tourism of the OTS held on 24 May 2022 in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan; and instruct to ensure implementation of the “Tabarruk Ziyorat”, “Best Tourism Villages of the Turkic States” as well as establishing cooperation in developing winter and golf tourism in the Member and Observer States; commended the outcomes of the Forum on the implementation of the pilot project “Tabarruk Ziyorat” with the participation of government agencies and tour companies of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan held on October 3-4, 2022 in Turkistan; and instruct the relevant institutions of the Member States to take necessary measures for facilitating the soonest implementation of the pilot project and extending it towards the other Member and Observer States; instructed the relevant authorities of the Member States to coordinate their efforts to compile joint nomination files regarding the Silk Road World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination as well as to promote the “Organization of Turkic States’ Modern Silk Road Joint Tour Project” with necessary means including the national and international tourism exhibitions.
Tourism Training Program of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was organized on 7-12 May 2023 in Hungary with the participation of the representatives of the public and private sector of the Member States. The program was held in line with the decisions taken at the 7th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism Affairs of the OTS and hosted by the Hungarian Tourism Agency. During the program, tourism professionals from the Member States visited the cities of Budapest, Veszprem, Balatonfüred, Sümeg, Keszthely and Heviz of Hungary and were informed by the Hungarian officials regarding the best practices and developments on the site.
Eventually, 8th Meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States convened on 11 October 2023 in the city of Turkistan, Kazakhstan. At the meeting, Parties discussed issues related to increasing the number of flights among the Member and Observer States, revealing the potential of the Silk Road Tourism, implementation of the “Turkic World Tourism Capital” and Tabarruk Ziyarat projects, launch of the new website namely www.turkicsilkroad.com, training programs and other issues related to the tourism cooperation agenda within the OTS. At the meeting, upon the proposal of the Kazakh side, parties declared city of Turkistan as the “Turkic World Tourism Capital” for the year 2024 and endorsed the Roadmap which includes various conferences, festivals and other activities to be organized next year in Turkistan.
Parties also agreed to hold the 9th Ministerial Meeting on Tourism of the Organization of Turkic States in Kyrgyzstan in 2024.
Last Update: 2.08.2024 17:30:56
