DUSHANBE, 12.11.2020 (NIAT Khovar) – On November 10, a meeting of the Tourism Council of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was held in an online format.

The Council members summed up the results of the CIS Tourism Forum within the framework of the Week of Business Initiatives in Tashkent in September 2020 and discussed the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global tourism market.

The meeting participants noted that the restoration of the tourism industry in the Commonwealth space should be a priority for the Council in 2021.

In this regard, it was decided to organize a regular exchange of experience on taking appropriate measures to mitigate the consequences of the crisis and restore the tourism and travel market, as well as create a Working Group under the Council to respond to challenges in the tourism sector.

Representatives of the CIS countries generally approved the draft Action Plan for 2021-2023 on the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Cooperation in Tourism for 2021-2030, discussed the development and implementation of cross-border tourist routes related to the events of the Great Patriotic War.

This direction has been identified as one of the priorities in the field of international tourism cooperation. A request was made to the CIS Executive Committee to create a list of such routes on the basis of proposals from states on their Internet resources.

The meeting also focused on the use of electronic visas in the CIS member states, the organization of a visa-free procedure for the entry and exit of foreign tourists.

The Council members agreed with the proposal of Uzbekistan to give the status of the basic organization of the CIS member states in the field of tourism to the International University of Tourism Silk Road and decided to prepare a draft of the relevant document, which will be considered at the next meeting.

The meeting participants generally approved the draft Report on the Council’s activities and the Chairperson of the Committee for Tourism of the Armenian Ministry of Economy Susanna Safaryan was elected as its Chairman for the following term.

The next meeting of the CIS Tourism Council will be held in 2021 in Armenia.