Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In recent years, the global tourism market has shown steady growth, becoming the main sector of job security and a multiplier for sustainable socio-economic development. Today, the tourism sector accounts for more than 10.4% of world GDP, 7% of world trade and 10% of employed. At the same time, every fifth new workplace was in the field of tourism. For 38% of the world's countries, tourism is the main source of income, and for 83% of countries, tourism is one of the five main sources of income.

In order to increase the attractiveness and ensure more active participation of representatives of the tourism industry of the CIS member states, the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the development of tourism during participation in the meeting of the Council of Tourism of the CIS member states on 10-11 August 2018 in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), it was proposed to organize a regular meeting of the Council in Samarkand.

Further, in accordance with the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS on 28 September 2018 in Dushanbe, the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on tourism development developed a project to hold the first Annual Tourism Fair of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In accordance with the draft, the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the Development of Tourism holds this fair “on the sidelines” of the meeting of the Council of Tourism of the CIS Member States in Samarkand on 9-10 July 2019. The program of events also includes the International Scientific and Practical Seminar "Tourism in the CIS countries and regional cooperation: new challenges and opportunities."

This format allows creating a platform for wide familiarization with the tourism potential of the CIS countries, the exchange of important trends and innovations, as well as the intensification of direct dialogue between tourism agencies and the Commonwealth tourism business.

The main objective of the event is to increase the number of joint projects in the field of tourism between the CIS countries, maintaining the spirit of “cooperation and good neighborliness”.

The organizers of the First Annual Tourism Fair of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Samarkand are the State Tourism Development Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Executive Committee of the CIS, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Samarkand regional government.

Among the participants of the tourism fair will appear profile ministries and departments, heads of local authorities, representatives of the diplomatic corps, international organizations accredited in the country of the organizer, representatives of the tourism business from the CIS countries, leading local and foreign media.