Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- An opening of the International Conference "Development of a sustainable tourism model - a way to increase tourism potential" took place in the capital today.

The international conference "Development of a model of sustainable tourism - a way to increase tourism potential" is held within the framework of the Project "Model for sustainable tourism in Central Asia: capacity building, awareness raising, technology adoption" (the MOST Project) funded by the European Union (EU) under the Program SwitchAsia, as well as with the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The partners of the MOST project are: Heraklion Development Agency (Crete, Greece) - Lead Partner, Business Support Organization with experience in rural development and sustainable tourism, EuropeanProfiles S.A. (Greece) - leading consulting company in the EU with extensive experience in development and management programs in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, APINTECH (Cyprus) - technical partner, expert in sustainable production and consumption (SCP) and green technologies, Latvian Rural Tourism Association – communication partner with experience in the field of sustainable tourism and local development, as well as the Association of Private Tourism Organizations of Uzbekistan (APTO), the Eurasian Tourism Association (Kazakhstan), the Tajik Association of Tourism Organizations - the final beneficiaries of the EU grant.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan - Charlotte Adrian, the Minister of Natural Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan - Aziz Abdukhakimov.

In his speech, the Minister of Natural Resources of Uzbekistan noted the importance of applying and actively using "green" technologies in the tourism sector.

“Today, sustainability is becoming an important competitive factor in the marketplace. Increasing environmental awareness, the introduction of international standards, the use of efficient "green" technologies are important components of the further development of the country’s tourism industry. As the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted, at a meeting on 28 September 2020, in order to improve the quality and competitiveness of products, it is important to bring national standards in line with international requirements and implement them at enterprises. If the products do not have an international standard, they will never be competitive,” said Aziz Abdukhakimov.

In turn, in her speech, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan noted the importance of the national program of Uzbekistan on the "green" economy and the willingness of the EU to work together with Uzbekistan towards sustainable "green" development.

“The EU welcomes the adoption of the national program of Uzbekistan on the green economy and green growth until 2030. This far-reaching document aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the use of renewable energy sources and improve resource efficiency. To successfully achieve these goals, the EU reaffirms its willingness to work together with Uzbekistan to create an inclusive, compatible and sustainable growth model and the pursuit of sustainable green development,” said Charlotte Adrian.

The overall goal of the MOST Project is to promote a new and well-structured sustainable tourism model in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. The specific objectives are: to provide support to tourism organizations in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan to implement SCP practices by providing relevant knowledge and information and communication technology (ICT) tools, to support regional and local authorities in planning and implementing policies that will help development, raise awareness on sustainable tourism and consumer awareness of sustainable consumption, strengthening dialogue between authorities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and end-users regarding SCP.

In Uzbekistan, the executing organization of the project is APTO.

Within the framework of the MOST Project, tourism organizations of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan were able to take advantage of the following opportunities:

•Participation in a training course on environmental management, sustainable marketing in tourism enterprises;

•Installation and use of software technologies for data management for environmental certification;

•Obtaining and installing hardware and software for monitoring;

•Be selected among the enterprises that will be provided with special equipment (“smart” meters/sensors) free of charge.

Awareness of the importance of implementing eco-programs in the hospitality industry allows tourism organizations not only to take care of the environment and rationally use the available resources, but also is a powerful tool for economic management that can stimulate profitability and profitability and increase competitiveness.

The presence of eco-certification has a positive effect on the image of the hotel business, is a powerful marketing "green" tool and serves to increase guest loyalty. Thanks to this, tour operators and tourists are more likely to choose such hotels for cooperation, which contributes to additional profit.

Within the framework of the MOST Project, seminars were held - trainings on sustainable marketing, GSTC for sustainable tourism and green procurement to increase competitiveness. Certification training of participants was focused on the following standards:

- ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System);

-HCMI (Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative). This is a methodology and toolkit that is designed for the hotel industry;

-CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

The total number of people trained at training seminars in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan amounted to 955 people, of which 730 are representatives of tourism enterprises in Uzbekistan, 86 in Kazakhstan, and 139 in Tajikistan.

The total number of registered users from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan in the HCMI - Hotel Carbon Metering Initiative was 342.

HCMI is a methodology and tool developed by the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in partnership with KPMG and 23 international hotel companies. HCMI applies the principles of the Corporate Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) Standard at the hotel level. HCMI allows hotels to measure and report carbon emissions in a consistent way. HCMI can use any hotel, from small hotel lodges to 5-star resorts in any geographic area.

In addition, the Project “Model for Sustainable Tourism in Central Asia: Capacity Building, Awareness Raising, Technology Adoption” provided to tourism organizations (accommodation, tour operators) in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, relevant equipment such as Shelly 3EM smart sensors/meters (professional three-phase electricity meters) and Shelly H&T (Wi-Fi humidity and temperature sensors). Shelly 3EM can calculate two-way consumption: produced and used energy for each of the three phases.

The device can be configured to measure three separate points of a single-phase electrical system and measure each one separately. Shelly H&T has built-in humidity and temperature modules and is the world’s first Wi-Fi humidity and temperature sensor with over 1 year battery life. Shelly H&T helps track changes in humidity and temperature, avoiding dryness and maintaining comfortable conditions in the accommodation.

In total, 60 smart meters/sensors have been installed in the above mentioned countries within the MOST Project. Of these, 40 in Uzbekistan, 10 each in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Also, within the framework of the MOST Project, a PR campaign was carried out to promote sustainable tourism and introduce "green" technologies.