Silk Road: News, Events, Articles

As is well known, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) together with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) started in 2005 the Silk Road Initiative project. Inspired by ancient trade traditions which developed on this well-known ancient thoroughfare, the project aims to promote cooperation between the countries of the region and to launch mechanisms able to develop their potential through various activities. All this is expected to bring further prosperity to the Silk Road region.

The Silk Road Initiative project embraces three main areas: trade, investments and tourism and is being successfully implemented. Last year there were realized a number of activities, including the First Silk Road Cities Forum and the First Silk Road Investment Forum, with the main objective to enhance regional cooperation and to realize Central Asian potentials.

Significant activities are planned for the year of 2007 and beyond. Thus, in the context of the project’s part aimed at promoting tourism, UNDP suggested establishing the UN Silk Road City award scheme to encourage Silk Road major urban areas which show commitment to implement the strategy of sustainable development, with due consideration for their environmental assets, historical, cultural and economic peculiarities. It is expected that realization of this initiative will inculcate in their local governments a feeling of competition and will promote improvement of their tourist infrastructure as well as further development of tourist services and facilities. The selection of the cities would be made on the basis of criteria to be prescribed in accordance with the internationally acceptable standards.

In order to successfully implement the initiative, the UNDP, UNCTAD and UNWTO made the decision to set up an independent Silk Road Eminent Persons Group whose task is to draw up the transparent criteria and mechanisms of sustainable tourism development as well to identify the cities to be nominated for the UN Silk Road City award.

A number of prominent members of the society such as academics, executives from the private sector, arts and crafts experts, and representatives of local and international tourist industry agreed to participate in the work of the Group.

The first meeting of the Silk Road Eminent Persons Group is scheduled to be held in Madrid on 22-23 March.

The UN Silk Road Cities will be promoted at the UNWTO Silk Road stand at international travel fairs such as: ITB Berlin, WTM London, FITUR Madrid and other international tourist events. These activities will make for further promotion of Silk Road tourist product.

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