Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The ancient city of Samarkand hosted the international dialogue of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) under the theme “Tourism on the Silk Road.”

The event was organized by the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan and the World Tourism Alliance, with support from the Ministry of Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China. It served as a key platform for discussing the future prospects of global tourism.

Participants included Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism; Umid Shadiev, Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee; Zhang Xu, Chairman of the WTA; and more than 250 delegates, including officials, representatives of international organizations, WTA members, tourism industry experts, and journalists.

Held under the slogan "Building a Better Future through Silk Road Dialogue," the forum featured plenary sessions, roundtables, B2B meetings, presentations, and thematic panels. Discussions focused on expanding tourism cooperation, promoting sustainable tourism development, advancing digitalization, and improving service quality.

Special attention was given to strengthening tourism ties between Silk Road countries, fostering interregional collaboration, encouraging cultural exchange, and launching joint ecotourism initiatives.

Hosting this major event in Uzbekistan marks an important step in reinforcing the country's image as a leading tourist destination in Central Asia and underscores its growing role on the global tourism agenda.

The forum concluded with a set of proposals aimed at further developing Silk Road cooperation, along with agreements to launch joint tourism projects and initiatives.