The 6th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Tourism convened on 26 April 2025 in Erzurum, the ECO Tourism Capital for 2025. The gathering brought together tourism leaders from nine ECO Member States to discuss regional tourism cooperation and development strategies. ECO Secretariat also attended the meeting as well as the representatives of ECO Observers, the Organization of Turkic States and Turkish Cypriot State.
The meeting commenced with opening remarks by ECO Secretary General Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan, who emphasized the vital role of tourism in regional integration and highlighted ECO’s ongoing tourism cooperation initiatives. H.E. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, outlined Türkiye’s current progress and strategic plans for advancing its tourism industry.
The ministers also approved the selection of Lahore from Pakistan, as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2027, Mary from Turkmenistan for 2028 and Karakol for 2029, recognizing their rich cultural heritage and tourism potential.
Discussions further encompassed the progress of tourism cooperation under ECO framework and deliberations on formulating the tourism-related components of ECO’s new strategic vision for the next decade.
A significant milestone of the meeting was the official launch of the 1st Edition of the ECO Tourism Investment Guide, aimed at attracting investment and promoting tourism opportunities within the ECO region. The meeting concluded with the unanimous adoption of the “Erzurum Declaration,” outlining collective commitments with the decisions taken and future directions for regional tourism cooperation.
ERZURUM DECLARATION