In Khiva, declared the tourist capital of the Islamic world in 2024, the 12th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (12th ICTM) on “Sustainable development of the tourism industry” has ended.

The conference was attended by the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organisation, Khusrav Noziri, the Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Salim AlMalik, the ministers of tourism of 57 member countries, and representatives of several international organizations.

The event was covered by more than 50 representatives of foreign and local media. A press tour was organized for them to the historical complex “Ulli-Khovli”, located in Urgench district of Khorezm region.

On the second day of the conference, participants visited the Nurillaboy Palace, built at the beginning of the 20th century.

As part of the ministerial conference, the State Museum-Reserve “Ichan Kala” hosted the international open tournament “Pakhlavon Mahmud – the game of heroes”, in which strongmen from 15 countries competed.

An exhibition of paintings on “Shrines of the Islamic World” was also organized. The 56 unique works of art in the exhibition depict the most famous shrines of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) – mosques, madrassas, mausoleums, and other places of worship. The International Department of the Tourism Committee approved the list of 55 objects. 30 selected artists, as well as talented masters of painting – members of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan, worked on creating these works for a month.

The exhibition begins with a painting depicting Islam’s holiest sanctuary, the Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca.

Visitors to the exhibition also had the opportunity to examine sacred places such as the Kok-Gumbaz mosque in Uzbekistan, the mausoleum of Ahmed Yasawi in Kazakhstan, the Turkmenbashi Ruhi mosques in Turkmenistan, Sulaiman-Too in Kyrgyzstan, Al-Aqsa in Palestine, and Al-Fatih in Bahrain.

On the third day of the conference, aimed at the sustainable development of the tourism industry in Islamic countries, the 12th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers was held. The preparations carried out by Uzbekistan for the international event, as well as the reforms carried out in the country in tourism development, were highly appreciated.

At the first session of the conference, it was noted that the flow of foreign tourists to the OIC countries has increased significantly, reaching 224 million people.

At a high-level expert group meeting, it was announced that the organization’s chairmanship in tourism is moving from Azerbaijan to Uzbekistan.

It was also noted that under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan, with the cooperation of member countries, practical projects and initiatives in tourism partnership will be implemented, including in the direction of green and sustainable tourism, smart tourism, and tourism logistics.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Aziz Abdukhakimov, noted that, under the leadership of the Head of state, large-scale reforms are being implemented to transform tourism into one of the country’s strategic sectors.

OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed gratitude to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the government, and the people of Uzbekistan for the high level of organization of this conference, warm welcome, and hospitality.

The Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Salim AlMalik, also addressed the conference, emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage in various areas, and made recommendations in this regard, paying particular attention to the fact that the introduction of new technologies and artificial intelligence is a pressing task of today.

Following the conference, several important decisions were made. In particular, it was announced that Dakar will become a tourist city of the Islamic world in 2025, Cairo in 2026, and Lahore in 2027. Specific attention was paid to improving the selection criteria for OIC tourist cities and increasing their potential.

The main directions were identified as implementing the strategic roadmap for the development of Islamic tourism, simplifying the visa regime, stimulating investments, increasing the mutual tourist flow through the promotion of Islamic tourism sites, and personnel training.

At the conference, special attention was paid to the implementation of standards for the provision of halal tourism services. It was decided to organize the 13th Session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers of Tourism in Qatar.

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Akhmadjon Shokirov, Markhabo Madaminova, UzA