04 Jul 17.- The World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria
hosted the 2nd International UNWTO Western Silk Road Workshop in Sofia,
Bulgaria, on 27-28 June 2017. The workshop was attended by 22 countries and consolidated
the results of the first workshop held in Greece in April 2017.
The event is part of the
‘Enhancing the Understanding of European Tourism’ project developed by UNWTO in
cooperation with the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission (EC).
Opening the event alongside the
Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, Nikolina Angelkova, UNWTO Executive Director
for Technical Cooperation and Services, Zhu Shanzhong stressed “the importance
of an initiative based on sustainable cross-border partnerships and the
participation of a wide range of tourism stakeholders is remarkable”.
Recalling the upcoming 2018
EU-China Tourism Year, Zhu Shanzhong said “The Silk Road’s tourism success
depends on multilateral cooperation. UNWTO believes that collaborative tourism
development across regions enhances innovation, quality and the attractiveness
of tourism products, all of which accelerate economic growth and promote
stronger integration between the regions. Therefore, I would like to express
UNWTO´s gratitude to Bulgaria for hosting this workshop, which will help raise
the profile of the Silk Road as a world-class network of destinations”.
“This seminar was a useful
platform for expertise exchange, as well as a tool for creating best practices
in the sector. Attracting tourists can be achieved through the implementation
of joint tourism packages or products focused on Silk Road Heritage.
Considering the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European
Union in 2018, our country will have the opportunity to promote the Silk Road
throughout the events and initiatives organized by the Ministry of Tourism”
said the Minister of Tourism of Bulgaria, Nikolina Angelkova.
During the workshop UNWTO presented
the main findings of the Western Silk Road study, an innovative research that
brings the input of tourism stakeholders together with valuable contributions
from participating universities and focus group from across the Western Silk
Road region. The research offers valuable insight as to how the historic Silk
Road routes shaped the cultural and natural scenery of Europe and contains
proposals for the development of sustainable tourism initiatives along the
participating destinations.
The event further included two
specialised sessions (on product development and on tourism certification and
quality standards) as well as a B2B speed-networking session for National
Tourism Administrations, tour operators and SMEs, universities, tourist guide
associations and cultural route representatives.
All conclusions from the
Workshops will be assessed and incorporated into the Western Silk Road Roadmap.
Note for the editors:
The ‘Enhancing the Understanding
of European Tourism’ Project is a joint project by UNWTO and the
Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of
the European Commission (DG GROW). The project aims to improve the
socio-economic knowledge of the tourism sector, enhance the understanding of
European tourism and contribute towards economic growth and job creation, thus
improving the competitiveness of the sector in Europe. The project includes
three components: 1) increased cooperation and capacity building in tourism
statistics; 2) assessment of tourism market trends; 3) promotion of cultural
tourism through the Western Silk Road; and 4) promoting sustainable,
responsible, accessible and ethical tourism. The project is co-financed with
COSME funds and will run until February 2018.
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