Aktau, Kazakhstan – 25 September 2025
The International Tourism Forum oday in the coastal city of Aktau, bringing together government officials, tourism authorities, investors, and industry stakeholders from across the ECO region to strengthen regional cooperation and explore new opportunities for tourism investment.
The Forum, being held on 25–26 September 2025, was attended by a delegation of the ECO Secretariat led by Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Jandos Asanov, alongside senior representatives of tourism authorities from ECO Member States.
In his welcoming remarks during the opening session, Ambassador Asanov commended the Government of Kazakhstan for its steadfast commitment to promoting tourism as a driver of economic development in the region. He highlighted the ECO Secretariat’s recent initiatives to enhance regional tourism cooperation and emphasized the need for increased investments in travel and hospitality infrastructure.
H.E. Yerbol Myrzabosynov, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, warmly welcomed the delegations and presented an overview of the country’s latest tourism initiatives. He highlighted significant progress in developing the Mangystau region as a unique destination, underlining its potential for sustainable tourism and investment as well as mentioning recent nomination of Aktau for the title of ECO Tourism Capital for 2030.
The plenary session provided a platform for ECO Member States to present the tourism investment outlooks of their respective countries and share experiences in policy design, investment facilitation, and destination development.
In addition to the plenary session, the Forum featured several thematic panel discussions covering key topics such as:
• Infrastructure of Hospitality and New Horizons for Development
• Tourism Service Chain and Quality Enhancement
• Developing Medical Tourism in the Kazakhstan
• Event Tourism as a Catalyst for Growth in Kazakhstan
Participants also engaged in B2B networking sessions, enabling direct interaction between investors, tour operators and oubliv sector. The event will end with a sightseeing tour of the Mangystau region, offering participants first-hand experience of the area’s unique natural and cultural attractions.
