Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan Expand Tourism Ties Through B2B Meetings

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are planning to expand tourism cooperation through joint promotional campaigns, reciprocal tourism visits and business-to-business meetings, following a meeting between Uzbekistan's Tourism Committee Chairman Abdulaziz Akkulov and Azerbaijan's newly appointed Ambassador to Uzbekistan Rashad Mammadov on Sept. 23.

This was reflected in the statement by the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan.

The sides discussed increasing tourist flows between the two countries, promoting their tourism destinations and strengthening direct contacts between tourism industry representatives.

Particular attention was given to Azerbaijan's potential in ski and health tourism. Mammadov highlighted plans to develop the Kalbajar district as a promising ski tourism destination and briefed the Uzbek side on health tourism facilities, including sanatoriums and hotels in Naftalan.

“The Treaty on Eternal Friendship signed by the leaders of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan on August 23 is important for further strengthening relations of friendship, strategic partnership and alliance between the two countries,” Akkulov said.

The sides also agreed to establish direct dialogue and develop cooperation between the trade unions of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan in tourism.

They highlighted the results of joint tourism initiatives, including the“Highlights of the Silk Road” project, under which Uzbekistan's Tourism Committee and Azerbaijan's State Tourism Agency organized joint roadshows for tourism industry representatives in several European cities in October 2025.

The two countries plan to hold another series of joint roadshows in four European countries in October 2026.

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan also agreed to organize reciprocal familiarization tours for tour operators, media representatives and bloggers, as well as B2B meetings between private-sector representatives from the two countries.

The initiatives are aimed at increasing direct business contacts and promoting tourism products in both markets.

Mammadov and Azerbaijan's State Tourism Agency were also invited to the Tashkent International Tourism Fair 2026, scheduled for November 25-27, as well as the opening ceremony of 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism, to be held during the fair in cooperation with UN Tourism.

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