Azerbaijan : The 7th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Tourism and the 9th Meeting of the ECO Experts Group on Tourism were successfully held in the historic city of Shusha, Azerbaijan, on 28–29 April 2026.
Bringing together tourism ministers and delegations from across ECO member states, the meetings provided an important platform to strengthen regional cooperation and unlock the immense tourism potential of the ECO region. Pakistan was represented by Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, National Coordinator on Tourism to the Prime Minister and Aftab ur Rehman Rana, Managing Director of PTDC.
In his remarks, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan highlighted the vast natural, cultural, and historical assets across ECO countries and emphasized the importance of promoting tourism as a driver of people-to-people connectivity, regional peace, and shared prosperity. He also shared Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to position tourism as a key engine of economic growth through a comprehensive, public-private partnership-based tourism promotion strategy.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, described the hosting of the ECO events in Shusha as of special symbolic importance, noting that the city has been selected as one of the leading tourism destinations of Azerbaijan thanks to its rich cultural and historical heritage.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, ECO Secretary General, underlined that applying sustainable approaches, enhancing cooperation on tourism education, more actively involving the private sector in the process and implementing joint initiatives contribute to the development of tourism in the region.
The meetings underscored the importance of sustainable tourism approaches, strengthening tourism education, enhancing private sector engagement, and developing joint regional initiatives. A key milestone was the adoption of the “Shusha Declaration,” setting future priorities for tourism cooperation among ECO member states.
The discussions also emphasized diversifying tourism offerings and promoting ecotourism through the development of regional tourism routes—unlocking new opportunities for sustainable growth across the region.
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