Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, (OIC), Dr. Ahmad Kawesa Sengendo, highlighted the significance of the 12th Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM), which will be held in Khiva, Republic of Uzbekistan, 1st – 2nd June 2024, with regard to the implementation of the OIC Programs and Resolutions in the domain of tourism. 

At the Opening Session of the Senior Officials Meeting of (ICTM) in Khiva, held on 31st May 2024, Dr. Sengendo delivered a speech in which he noted, that the OIC Member States demonstrated a gradual but strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism sector, with total arrivals reaching 96 million in 2021 from 75 million in 2020. He revealed that this recovery gained further momentum in 2022 as the number of international tourist arrivals to OIC countries significantly increased to 224 million. The Assistant Secretary-General said that the post-pandemic recovery of international tourist arrivals has been faster in the group of OIC countries, leading to an increase in the share of the OIC group in global tourist arrivals from 12.8% in 2019 to 14.8% in 2022. 

While Dr. Sengendo stressed that tourism development has always received the primary attention of the entire OIC family, he added that one of the major tasks before the OIC during this challenging time is the scaling up of the Organisation’s cooperation efforts through improving tourism policy harmonization, development of Islamic tourism, tourism facilitation, tourism training, marketing, investment opportunities and development of regional tourism projects and tourism infrastructure. 

In the end, the Assistant Secretary-General pointed out that it is heartwarming that the celebration of the OIC City of Tourism Award has promoted an appropriate focus on multiplying tourism activities in the awardee cities. He added that it is, therefore, necessary for the OIC group to consider ways and means of carrying out these celebrations in not only a more festive manner but also one that significantly enhances the tourism attractiveness of the awardee cities.

Dr. Sengendo encouraged all Member States of OIC to actively participate and provide support to the Program of Activities in Khiva, the OIC City of Tourism for 2024, to be organized by Uzbekistan and the OIC Institutions this year.