Tashkent hosts first ever Uzbek-Indian International Congress of Guides
The first ever Uzbek-Indian International Congress of Guides emphasized the need for multilateral cooperation to strengthen human resources in excursion activities.
The first ever Uzbek-Indian International Congress of Guides was held in Tashkent on August 4, 2019. The Congress was organized by the State Tourism Development Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the State Unitary Enterprise “Educational and Consulting Center of Tourism”, the Federation of National Guides of India.
The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan pays great attention to mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of tourism on the basis of agreements reached between Uzbekistan and India. In this regard, the holding of this event is aimed at the implementation of the roadmap to increase the tourist flow from India to Uzbekistan, which also provides directions for educating and raising human resources.
The participants of the congress include national guides, representatives of state administrations in the sphere of tourism and culture, tourist agencies and representatives of Mass Media of India and Uzbekistan.The main goal of the Congress is to stimulate and inspire participants to create and implement new joint projects in the field of tourism and sightseeing activities as well as in the system of training qualified guides.
The business program of the Congress, in accordance with the main objective, had a specific thematic structure and focus. Each section was devoted to a specific topic, in the framework of which the most relevant issues related to the promotion of cultural and historical heritage and natural resources of Uzbekistan were discussed. The discussion also included issues of tourist product diversification and the development of new excursion programs for Indian tourists, the improvement of qualified guides training system, the exchange of human resources, and many other very important ones.As part of the business program of the congress, a fruitful exchange of experience took place between the specialists of the Association of Guides of Uzbekistan and the Federation of National Guides of India. The first step in the development of interaction between associations was made on February 21, 2019 at the 3rd International Forum of Guides during the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two Associations.The participants were greeted by Abdulaziz Akkulov, who is currently acting as the Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development: “Uzbekistan and India are connected by historical and cultural ties, common customs and traditions, which makes it possible to further expand bilateral cultural and economic cooperation. This, in turn, contributes to the constructive and consistent development of cooperation between our countries in the field of education and tourism. The Uzbek-Indian Congress of Guides became the first platform for further improvement and stimulation of our friendly and partner relations.Therefore, we should work together to create joint projects and make more accurate decisions for their implementation. We expect that each congress participant will acquire something personally for himself/herself – new knowledge, contacts, connections and a new impulse to build or develop his/her own business or direction in personal development. We also believe that such events contribute to the differentiation tourism and the development of MICE tourism in our countries “.
President of the Federation of Tourist Guides of India, Mr. Ajay Sinh Kumar, made a note: “We are now at a very important stage in the development and strengthening of the historically established friendly Uzbek-Indian relations. Uzbekistan is a strategic partner for India and a promising tourist destination for Indian tourists.The congress is attended by 170 representatives of Indian tourist business, who want to get acquainted with the tourist potential of your country and, further, to promote it in India and thereby increase the tourist flow to your sunny and hospitable country. We will also be happy to share our experience with our colleagues from Uzbekistan on the preparation of guides and their professional activities, since we realize their great importance and consider them to be “Ambassadors for Peace”. We hope that the congress has become a start for our further interrelations and implementation of joint projects”.
The organizers had also planned to hold a B2B platform within the framework of the Congress in order to establish a direct constructive dialogue between tourist agencies of India and Uzbekistan; to hold the 22nd annual national convention of the Federation of Tourist Guides of India and the info-tour for guests in the cities of Uzbekistan, which include master classes and the exchange of experience among the guides of the two countries.
Following the results of the Congress, it was agreed that representatives of the Federation of Tourist Guides of India will take an active part in raising the qualifications of guides in Uzbekistan and create conditions for their internships in India.For reference: The Federation of Tourist Guides of India is the main organization in the field of regulation of guiding activities, and operates under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism of India. Currently, more than 3,500 national guides of India are members of the Federation. The Association of Guides of Uzbekistan was established on February 21, 2019 to unite certified guides. The main objectives of the Association include popularization of the profession “guide”, representation and protection of the interests of guides in public and private structures, as well as improvement and participation in the preparation of national guides.
