BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. A panel session
titled "Tourism for a shared future: how inclusivity, equality, and
community leadership contribute to peacebuilding" was held within
the framework of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in
Baku today, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.


Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, Fuad Naghiyev, said that
the Baku Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in Tourism brings
together states and non-state actors around the goals of reducing
emissions and adapting to climate change.


He recalled that during COP29, hosted by Azerbaijan in 2024, a
"Tourism Day" was organized through the joint efforts of the State
Tourism Agency, UN Tourism, and the COP29 Presidency. Held for the
first time within the framework of a UN climate conference, this
event drew greater attention to the role of tourism in combating
climate change.


Head of the Cultural Heritage Development Division at the State
Tourism Agency’s Cultural Heritage Department, Leyla Musayeva,
noted that the development of tourism in Khinalig village has
expanded opportunities for local women to participate in
craftsmanship and other tourism-related activities.







According to her, Khinalig was declared a state reserve in 2007
by a presidential decree. Restoration and conservation work carried
out in the village between 2021 and 2024, as well as the inclusion
of the area in the UNESCO World Heritage List, have contributed to
the preservation of its cultural heritage. Musayeva emphasized the
importance of keeping local traditions and the language alive, and
of strengthening the younger generation's connection to their
cultural heritage.


Ann Kalembe, Ugandan entrepreneur and founder of Gazelle Safari
Company, Gazelle Hospitality, and the organization Women in
Hospitality Uganda, said that her country has identified tourism as
a key driver of economic development.


She remarked that Uganda plans to grow its economy tenfold by
2040, with a focus on developing five priority sectors:
agriculture, tourism, mineral resources, and science and
technology. Kalembe also highlighted that approximately 1 million
jobs have been created within the tourism sector.