Recently, the Silk Road Tourism Cities Alliance "Silk Road Dialogue" was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The "Silk Road Dialogue" was co-hosted by the China International Cultural Exchange Center and the Istanbul City Government of Turkey, and was the first event held abroad since the establishment of the Alliance. Francesco Frangialli, Honorary Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization UNWTO and Individual Director of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance, attended the event and delivered a speech.
Guest photo source: Sino-Foreign Cultural Exchange Center
Guests, scholars and representatives of many international tourism cities from many countries around the world attended the event. The participants expressed their support and expectations for the development of the Silk Road Tourism Cities Alliance, and offered suggestions for promoting the upgrading of tourism quality. They believed that this event would help promote friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation among cities in the tourism field.
Event site Source: Sino-Foreign Cultural Exchange Center
In his speech, Francesco Frangialli said that the ancient Silk Road was not only a channel and market for the transportation and trade of goods such as silk, but also promoted the exchange of ideas, languages, art works, cultural customs and religious beliefs among people. The joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative would help promote the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Francisco Frangialli delivered a speech. Source: China-Foreign Cultural Exchange Center
He also introduced that in recent years, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has paid special attention to technical cooperation activities in countries along the Silk Road, such as Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Gansu Province in China. In 2023, the United Nations World Tourism Organization held its 25th General Assembly in Samarkand. As part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNESCO has developed the Silk Road Plan, especially through digital tools, to promote education and cultural exchanges along the Silk Road for young people.
He also quoted the contents of the "Samarkand Silk Road Tourism Declaration" issued by the United Nations World Tourism Organization on October 5, 1994, "We, modern travelers along the ancient Silk Road in Central Asia, meet in the magical city of Samarkand, the crossroads of this historic highway, and promise to revitalize this great road of East-West exchanges through tourism."
Interview with Francesco Frangialli after the meeting. Source: CCTV News
Frangialli also said in the interview after the meeting: "It is very exciting that 68 cities have joined the alliance in less than a year since its establishment."
Forum Discussion Source: Xinhua News Agency
It is reported that the Silk Road Tourism City Alliance was established in September 2023, jointly initiated by the China-Foreign Cultural Exchange Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and well-known tourism cities at home and abroad. Currently, 63 well-known tourism cities from 28 countries have joined the alliance.
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
