12th Islamic Conference Of Tourism Ministers Wraps Up In Uzbekistan

The 12th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (12th ICTM) concluded today in Khiva, Uzbekistan. The conference announced the winners of the Tourism City Award by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Dakar, Senegal, was selected as the OIC City of Tourism for 2025, Cairo, Egypt, for 2026, and Lahore, Pakistan, for 2027.

The conference also commended the plans by relevant OIC institutions for commemorating Khiva as the OIC City of Tourism for 2024. It urged member states to actively participate in activities in awardee cities for 2025, 2026, and 2027. Additionally, Qatar was endorsed as the host country for the 13th Session of ICTM in 2026.

The 12th ICTM called on all OIC member states and relevant institutions to implement the Strategic Roadmap for the Development of Islamic Tourism. This includes organizing annual events to promote intra-OIC tourist flows through visa facilitation, investment promotion, branding and standardization, and capacity building.

The conference invited the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) to collaborate with the OIC and international organizations such as the UN Tourism on a revised Strategy for the Development of Sustainable Cultural Tourism in the Islamic World.

Furthermore, it called upon OIC member states to invest in digitalization to promote and market their destinations. This initiative aims to improve international visitors’ experiences and accelerate recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants expressed gratitude to Uzbekistan for hosting the conference in Khiva under the theme: Development of the Tourism Industry in a Sustainable and Resilient Way. They also congratulated Uzbekistan for Samarkand being selected as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2025.

The conference concluded with a call to action for member states to actively engage in upcoming sessions and initiatives aimed at fostering tourism within the OIC framework.

With inputs from SPA