Tehran, Iran – 13 October 2026
The Fifth Meeting of the ECO-ACT (ECO Advisory Committee on Tourism) Subcommittee on Transport, reorganized from the previous ECO Tourism and Transport Task Force, was held online with the participation of delegations from the tourism and transport authorities of ECO Member States.
Participants emphasized that passenger connectivity and visa facilitation are fundamental to tourism competitiveness, accessibility, and resilience. The Meeting reviewed the draft ECO Tourism Connectivity Policy–2035, prepared by the ECO Secretariat in support of the regional target of 155 million visitor arrivals by 2035. Delegations shared updates on international passenger transport developments and proposed measures to improve transport infrastructure and operations, particularly by expanding air connections to smaller cities with tourism potential.
The Meeting also discussed establishing a Working Group to assess the feasibility of piloting the ECO Heritage Train Route as a regional passenger rail initiative under the Roadmap on Expansion of Tourism Services–2030 (RETS-2030). Member States were invited to provide their final inputs to the draft Policy. The regional tourism connectivity framework, incorporating practical recommendations to strengthen transport links and facilitate travel across the ECO region, is expected to be finalized and submitted to the relevant ECO decision-making bodies in the coming period.
