Tehran – 23 September 2026
The 9th Meeting of the ECO Tour Operators’ Network (ETON) was held virtually on 23 September 2026, bringing together representatives of ECO Member States, tour operators and delegates from national tourism administrations to strengthen private-sector cooperation and advance practical initiatives for regional tourism development.
The meeting reviewed the outcomes of the 2nd ECO Tour Operators Forum, jointly hosted by Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriot State in Mersin and Girne last year. The participants also exchanged views on the preparation of the 3rd ECO Tour Operators Forum, to be hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran in Tabriz and Aras Free Zone before the end of 2026 with a detailed briefing from Iranian stakeholders on planning and timing of said event.
The meeting also discussed the draft concept regarding possible establishment of an ECO Tourism Agencies Federation (ECO-TAF) as a mechanism to strengthen and institutionalize private-sector cooperation. The Tourism Directorate of the ECO Secretariat explained the concept and process for the establishment of such structure, clarifying the issues raised by the participants.
The meeting concluded with an emphasis on continued cooperation among ECO Member States and tourism stakeholders organizing joint fam trips and facilitating the participation of interested stakeholders in ECO tourism cooperation events, as well as the development of concrete follow-up actions to transform the current works for partnership of tour operators into a permanent private sector cooperation mechanism.
