WTA·Silk Road Dialogue Held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

On July 3, the WTA·Silk Road Dialogue took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Co-hosted by the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) and Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, the event was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan. The opening ceremony featured speeches by Mr. ZHANG Xu, WTA Chair; Umid Shadiev, Chairman of Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan; Adiz Boboyev, Governor of Samarkand Region; Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism; and H.E. YU Jun, Ambassador of China to Uzbekistan. DUAN Qiang, President of the China Tourism Association, attended the event. The dialogue was moderated by Mr. LIU Yufeng, WTA Deputy Secretary-General, and GE Lei, Secretary-General of the China Tourism Association.

Mr. ZHANG Xu noted that Silk Road tourism, with its profound historical heritage and unique natural landscapes, is experiencing unprecedented vitality. Currently, 58 weekly direct flights connect Chinese and Uzbek cities, facilitating bilateral exchanges. He predicted growing tourist interactions, deeper cultural and tourism cooperation, and vast potential for bilateral tourism development. He also expressed hope that the "WTA·Silk Road Dialogue" would serve as a platform to uphold the Silk Road spirit, enhance tourism collaboration, and boost tourism growth across "Belt and Road" regions, contributing to a better global tourism community.

Umid Shadiev praised the Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Mutual Visa Exemption, effective since June 1, calling it a landmark move with far-reaching impacts on bilateral ties and global dynamics. To mark this milestone, 2025 has been designated the "Tourism Year of Uzbekistan in China". Seizing this opportunity, Uzbekistan has been making comprehensive efforts in product marketing, infrastructure, and convenient services, and has launched large-scale roadshows in 26 major Chinese cities, implemented the "China Friendly" initiative—including Chinese signage, menus, mobile payment systems, and staff fluent in Chinese. He emphasized the need for stronger dialogue, coordination, and industry standards to unlock the Silk Road’s potential as a golden tourism corridor.

Adiz Boboyev highlighted Samarkand’s status as a renowned World Cultural Heritage site and a leading international destination, known for its hospitality, cuisine, and service quality. To enhance its appeal, the city is improving digital tourism systems, modern transport hubs, accommodation, cultural festivals, and professional training programs. He called for joint efforts to strengthen regional connectivity, empower local communities, and position the Silk Road as an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient world-class tourism destination.

Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili emphasized that tourism serves as a vital bridge connecting diverse cultures and civilizations. He noted the robust recovery of global tourism, with international visitor numbers rebounding to pre-pandemic levels, accompanied by growing demand for authentic cultural experiences and local immersion. "This necessitates increased infrastructure investment, enhanced digital marketing capabilities, and improved cross-border coordination mechanisms", he stated, calling for joint efforts to build a more sustainable, digitalized, and inclusive tourism framework. The UN Tourism Secretary-General expressed his vision to transform the Silk Road into a dynamic corridor that not only links historical civilizations but also accelerates progress toward future peace and prosperity.

Chinese Ambassador YU Jun highlighted the deep-rooted friendship between China and Uzbekistan as ancient civilizations along the Silk Road. "Under the strategic guidance of our heads of state, the China-Uzbekistan all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership has achieved high-quality development across all sectors," he remarked. Ambassador YU proposed leveraging tourism cooperation to revitalize Silk Road civilizations through resource sharing and complementary advantages, establishing closer regional tourism networks that inject new momentum into global tourism development. "This aligns with our concrete actions to implement the Global Civilization Initiative", he added.

Held under the theme "Envision and Create a Better Future through the Silk Road Dialogue", the event featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, report releases, and the "Night of Hangzhou" tourism promotion. Participants included WTA members, tourism officials from China, Uzbekistan and other Belt and Road countries, representatives from international tourism organizations and institutions, WTA member units, industry experts, and media representatives.

During the keynote session, Mr. Benny Wang, Senior Vice President of Trip.com Group, delivered a speech titled "Enhancing China-Central Asia Tourism Ties Together We Chart the Future of Silk Road Heritage" Jaime Mayaki, Director of Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department at UN Tourism, shared insights on "Data-Driven Insights: Emerging Opportunities in Silk Road Tourism". Mr. CHU Boyao, CEO of Creation Park Group, gave a presentation on "Driving High-Quality Tourism Development in Central Asia Through World-Class Theme Park Projects."

During the panel sessions, Chinese and international guests conducted in-depth deliberations on key topics such as "Emerging Markets and Marketing Strategies for Silk Road Tourism: How Social Media, KOLs, and Digital Promotion Unlock Growth Opportunities?" and "Heritage Engagement & Destination Resilience: Crafting Unique Tourism Products for Silk Road Nations".

UN Tourism and the WTA jointly unveiled a collaborative report titled "Developing Local Communities through Sustainable Tourism Development Roadmap". The document analyzes global best practices in community-based sustainable tourism, examines the dynamic relationship between communities and tourism development, and offers actionable insights for local stakeholders to create competitive, appealing, and sustainable tourism products.

The evening featured the "THE NIGHT OF HANGZHOU" tourism promotion event, which vividly showcased the city’s unique cultural and tourism resources through immersive presentations.

Initiated by China and headquartered in Hangzhou — a pivotal port city along the Maritime Silk Road — the WTA is a non-governmental international tourism organization. Guided by its vision of "Better Tourism, Better Life, Better World" and its mission of "Promoting Tourism for Peace, Development, and Poverty Alleviation", the alliance actively fosters global tourism cooperation and cross-cultural dialogue. It currently comprises 259 members from 45 countries and regions.