Afghan Officials Participate in ECO Tourism Operators’ Network Meeting

On 13 Rabi’ al-Thani 1448 AH The Director of Tourism Activities Coordination at the Ministry of Information and Culture, Mawlawi Mohammad Tayyib, and the Director of Foreign Relations and Cultural Affairs, Mohammad Shafiq Ahmadzai, participated online in the ninth meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Tourism Operators’ Network (ETON).
The meeting was attended by representatives of ECO member states, tourism operators and national tourism authorities, and focused on strengthening cooperation and coordination in the regional tourism sector.
Participants reviewed the outcomes of the second ECO Tourism Operators’ Forum, jointly hosted last year by the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Mersin and Kyrenia.
Discussions also covered preparations for the third forum, which is scheduled to take place by the end of 2026 in Tabriz and the Aras Free Zone, with the Islamic Republic of Iran as host. Representatives of relevant Iranian institutions briefed participants on preparations for the event and its proposed schedule.
The meeting further considered a draft proposal for establishing the ECO Tourism Agencies Federation (ECO-TAF), intended to strengthen and institutionalize cooperation among private-sector stakeholders in tourism.
The Tourism Department of the ECO Secretariat presented the proposed structure and establishment process of the federation and addressed questions and comments raised by participants.
In the closing session, participants highlighted the importance of continued cooperation among ECO member states and tourism stakeholders, including joint familiarization trips for tourism professionals and greater opportunities for interested stakeholders to participate in ECO tourism programmes and exhibitions. They also underscored the need for practical measures and clearly defined follow-up actions.
The participants also discussed expanding cooperation among tourism operators across ECO member states and efforts to establish a permanent and effective mechanism for private-sector collaboration in regional tourism.
26 sep 2026