On May 2-3, Baku is hosting the First Tour Operators Forum of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Member States, co-organized by the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan and ECO. The event brings together official representatives and tourism industry professionals from nine ECO member states, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan.
Speaking at the opening session, Kenan Gasimov, Head of Staff of the State Tourism Agency, emphasized the significance of the forum in expanding tourism cooperation across the ECO region. He noted that this platform facilitates knowledge and experience exchange, as well as joint promotional and marketing initiatives among member states. He also highlighted the strong collaboration between the State Tourism Agency and ECO, recalling that in December 2023, Baku successfully hosted the first meeting of tourism-focused educational institutions from ECO member states.
In his address, ECO Secretary-General Khusrav Noziri underlined the importance of strengthening the network of tour operators within the organization. He expressed gratitude to the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan for supporting this initiative and stressed that closer cooperation between tour operators would contribute to the development of new tourism products and routes, promoting the region’s diverse cultural, natural, and historical heritage not only within ECO but also on a global scale. As part of ECO’s 2025 strategy, he proposed the establishment of an ECO Tourism Agencies Federation to serve as a mechanism for supporting public-private sector partnerships in the tourism industry.
Following the opening session on “Tourism in the ECO Region: Opportunities and Challenges,” several panel discussions are taking place, covering topics such as the development of joint tourism packages in the ECO region, the organization of familiarization trips to Azerbaijan for tour operators from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey, and the revival of the historic Silk Road transport routes across the Middle East and West Asia.
During the panel on joint tour packages, participants discussed multi-country tourism opportunities, including historical Silk Road routes featuring cities such as Istanbul, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva, as well as bilateral cultural tours between neighboring ECO countries, highlighting historic mosques, traditional bazaars, and artisan workshops. The forum also explored plans for tourism routes linking ECO’s designated tourism capitals, including Dushanbe (2021), Sari (2022), Ardabil (2023), Shakhrisabz (2024), Erzurum (2025), and Shusha (2026), along with UNESCO-listed heritage tours that showcase the tangible cultural heritage of member states. Discussions also covered adventure tourism experiences, such as hiking, trekking, and camping, as well as entertainment-focused tourism offerings.
On the second day of the forum, B2B (business-to-business) networking meetings will be held between local and international tour operators, followed by a roundtable discussion to review key outcomes and future initiatives.
