CIS Forms Unified Tourism Space Through Harmonised Legislation, Common Glossary, New Routes

Experts from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan discussed prospects for tourism development across the CIS during the round table "CIS Tourism 2026: New Routes, Tourist Flows and Market Opportunities".

Participants were welcomed by Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Dmitriy Kobitskiy, who noted that the international tourism forum Travel Hub "Commonwealth" serves as an important communication and analytical platform for identifying regulatory challenges and shaping the legislative agenda of the IPA CIS.

According to Dmitriy Kobitskiy, one of the Assembly's priorities is the creation of a common legal framework in tourism and hospitality across the Commonwealth, including the harmonisation of safety and service standards. He added that the recommendations developed during the discussion would be taken into account in the IPA CIS legislative activities.

Representatives of the tourism authorities of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan presented national tourism development strategies and highlighted growing interest in combined cross-border routes, ecological and adventure tourism, cultural heritage destinations and business travel.

The participants noted that mutual tourist flows within the CIS continue to grow. Among the proposals discussed were the development of interstate tourist routes, creation of a unified information portal, harmonisation of tourism terminology, establishment of common mechanisms for assisting tourists in emergency situations and expansion of professional B2B cooperation.

The experts agreed that achieving the target of making the CIS a recognisable, comfortable and competitive tourist destination requires deeper integration in areas ranging from transport connectivity to the promotion of tourism brands across the Commonwealth.

The round table was held as part of the Online Travel Mart exhibition. The event was organised by Travel Hub "Commonwealth" and the Profi.Travel media holding with the support of the Russian Union of Travel Industry.