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The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) tourism working group meeting on capacity building seminar was held in Istanbul, Turkey, June 25-27, 2024. A representative of the Association of Private Tourism Agencies of Uzbekistan (APTA) attended the event.

The seminar included a presentation of the CAREC tourism web portal, where participants discussed its key features and main characteristics. This allowed for sharing views and ideas on how to improve current projects and ensure sustainability of activities.

Special attention was paid to thematic marketing and branding using the Ancient Silk Road. European experts presented strategic approaches to utilizing regional brands based on rich history and cultural heritage to create attractive marketing and branding stories. The potential of the region's tourism sector was also discussed with a focus on the Visit Silk Road brand and its development prospects.

One important aspect of the seminar was a discussion on visa facilitation along the Silk Road. Regional case studies on tourism products of the participating countries including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia were presented.

The representative of Uzbekistan, Advisor to the Chairman of the Committee on Tourism of the Republic of Uzbekistan Feruz Dodiev made a presentation "One Tour - One Region", speaking about Uzbekistan's experience.

The importance of visa initiatives such as the Silk Road visa, "My Second Home" visa and digital nomad visa was also emphasized.

Additionally, the visa facilitation initiative from the Development Bank of Southeast Asia was presented, demonstrating sub-regional approaches to visa requirements in different target markets.

The workshop also included a discussion on the possible organizational structure of a regional tourism office, including options for single or cluster Agencies, and consideration of global lessons learned, such as from the experience of the Mekong Tourism Coordination Office.

The concept of the proposed regional tourism office was presented at the workshop, as well as marketing opportunities for the use of historic buildings for heritage tourism.

At the end of the meeting, the working group expressed their intention to continue cooperation based on a common spirit of understanding and support.

The participation of APTA representative in the event emphasized the importance of cooperation and exchange of experience for the development of the tourism sector in Central Asia. The meeting became a platform for discussing key issues and developing strategies aimed at increasing the sustainability and competitiveness of tourism in the region.