BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 15. Uzbekistan and
Georgia discussed ways to expand tourism cooperation and increase
tourist flows between the two countries during a B2B meeting that
brought together tour operators and tourism companies from both
markets.
This was reflected in the statement by the Tourism Committee of
Uzbekistan.
The meeting was attended by S. Bobokalonov, Deputy Chairman of
Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee, Natalie Kvachantiradze, Chairwoman
of the Georgian Tourism Association, 10 Georgian tour operators
visiting Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of Uzbek tourism
companies and tour operators.
During the meeting, Uzbek side presented the country’s tourism
potential, existing travel products and emerging destinations.
Particular attention was given to promoting historical and cultural
tours covering Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Tashkent in the
Georgian market.
Participants also discussed opportunities to promote Great Silk
Road routes, gastronomic tourism, ecotourism, pilgrimage tourism
and other specialized travel products.
Tour operators from Uzbekistan and Georgia exchanged views on
developing joint tourism packages, creating new itineraries and
increasing two-way tourist flows. The discussions also focused on
strengthening the promotion of tourism products in both countries’
markets.
The meeting followed agreements reached in July between
Uzbekistan Tourism Committee Chairman A. Akkulov and
Kvachantiradze, together with representatives of leading Georgian
tourism companies. Those talks resulted in plans for reciprocal
familiarization trips for tour operators, as well as seminars and
workshops.
The latest B2B meeting provided a practical platform for
implementing those agreements and establishing direct business
contacts between private-sector representatives.
The next major step will come on August 17, when the first
Uzbek-Georgian Business Forum on Tourism will be held at the Hilton
Samarkand Regency Hotel in Samarkand.
The forum is expected to further connect tourism businesses from
the two countries and create opportunities for new partnerships,
tourism products and joint projects.
