Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Aziz Abdukhakimov has met with UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili in Madrid (Spain).

Noting that education is one of the main resources for further development and restoration of the tourism industry, the parties agreed to develop criteria for certification of graduates of professional education institutions of Uzbekistan. This measure will improve the professional standards and skills of national personnel in tourism, as well as ensure the entry of professional personnel into the world service market.

Another area of cooperation, according to the parties, should be attracting investment in the tourism sector.

Becoming familiar with the tourism potential of Tashkent region, in particular Amirsoy Ski Resort, the UNWTO Secretary-General noted that Uzbekistan remains one of the few countries in the world that continue to invest in tourism during the pandemic.

The parties reached an agreement on holding in June 2021 (depending on the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the world) a global investment forum under the auspices of the UNWTO in Bostanlyk district of Tashkent region.

Issues of development of pilgrimage tourism were also discussed. Recognizing the rich heritage of Uzbekistan in this area, Zurab Pololikashvili noted that every two years UNWTO prepares a study on this topic. He proposed to include the study of the historical heritage of the country in the next edition of the research in 2021.