The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will be holding its Silk Road Task Force meeting during this year’s Routes Silk Road event which will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia on 6-8 July. This announcement comes soon after an agreement was reached at ITB in Berlin between Routes (part of UBM live) and UNWTO to work together in advancing matters related to air connectivity and travel facilitation. Routes Silk Road, which will be hosted by United Airports of Georgia (UAG) under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, is the route development forum that connects CIS, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia.
“UNWTO’s joint research with WTTC clearly demonstrates the impact that visa facilitation can have on economic growth and job creation. Routes Silk Road 2014 is an excellent initiative that will surely help address the travel facilitation challenges along this tourism route and we are thus very happy to hold the UNWTO Silk Road Task Force meeting alongside Routes. Moreover, with its forward-thinking approach to visas and its open skies policy, Georgia is an ideal destination to host such an event, and I must congratulate Georgia for winning the bid. UNWTO looks forward to working together with Routes and Georgia to make this edition the best yet”, said Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO.
The UNWTO Silk Road Task Force meeting brings together key representatives from Silk Road destinations, United Nations agencies, the private sector and associations to discuss and plan priorities for tourism development along this ancient route. The meeting aims to raise the profile of tourism along the Silk Road and drive sustainable and responsible tourism development by enhancing cooperation between the countries along the Silk Road.
“Following the announcement of our partnership we are thrilled that UNWTO has decided to hold its Silk Road Task Force meeting at our event in July. Routes Silk Road will be held in Georgia which is a gateway connecting several important economic regions including Europe, the New Independent States (NIS) and Central Asia and as such it is the ideal location for Routes Silk Road and the UNWTO Silk Road Task Force. Holding this important meeting alongside our own event will further strengthen our partnership and we are excited about the opportunities this provides Routes,” said Katie Bland, Director Routes, UBM Live.
