(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 10.​ The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the launch of a new regional project, titled Sustainable Tourism and Services Trade, aimed at promoting digital transformation and the development of sustainable tourism across Central Asia and the Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the ADB.

The project covers Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and is being implemented under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program.

With a total budget of $550,000, the initiative seeks to address key barriers hindering the growth of the tourism sector through digital innovation and sustainable policies designed to enhance tourism's contribution to regional trade and economic diversification.

"The main objectives of the initiative include expanding and digitalizing trade in services such as tourism and digital platforms, promoting smart, green, and inclusive solutions in the tourism sector, improving cross-border connectivity and infrastructure, and introducing environmentally friendly and high-tech solutions to strengthen the region's competitiveness," the ADB stated.

The bank emphasized that the project will foster a more accessible and sustainable tourism environment built on digital technologies and culturally rich routes, continuing efforts launched under previous ADB tourism development programs within the CAREC region. The initiative, according to the ADB, demonstrates the CAREC countries' firm commitment to advancing regional cooperation and implementing the strategy and action plan for tourism.

The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program constitutes a collaborative framework involving 11 sovereign entities and various development stakeholders, synergistically engaging to enhance developmental trajectories through strategic cooperation, thereby catalyzing economic expansion and alleviating poverty metrics. It operates under the strategic framework of an overarching vision encapsulated in the principles of "Good Neighbors, Good Partners, and Good Prospects."

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