Samarkand will host the 25th anniversary session of the General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on October 16-20, the Committee on Tourism said.

This will be the first time in its history that Uzbekistan will host the UNWTO session, which is considered one the most important event of the UN General Assembly system.

The event brings together heads of government bodies in the field of tourism, international organizations and representatives of the tourism sector from about 160 countries of the world.

The arrival in Samarkand is confirmed of tourism organizations and departments of Saudi Arabia, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Guatemala, Haiti, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Monaco, Niger, Panama, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Ukraine , Uruguay and Yemen.

The committee noted that Uzbekistan had joined the Committee on the powers of the UNWTO Executive Council for 2023-2027. This means that Uzbekistan has the authority to control the authenticity and compliance with decisions and documents adopted by the UNWTO Executive Board.

“Holding a session of the General Assembly in Uzbekistan opens up new opportunities to boost the reputation of our country in the international arena, further expand the scope of cooperation with international organizations, and promote the cultural and tourism potential of the country,” the report says.

Within the framework of the 25th session of the General Assembly will feature several events in particular, the Investment Forum, the Education Forum.

Also, UNWTO will announce the Best Tourism Villages of the year as part of the event. For this, tourist villages from all over the world with a developed tourist infrastructure are selected, aimed at ensuring the economic, social and environmental stability of the region while maintaining the traditional lifestyle and values of the population.

The committee emphasized that several tourist villages of Uzbekistan also participate in this competition.