BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. A panel session titled "Tourism for a shared future: how inclusivity, equality, and community leadership contribute to peacebuilding" was held within the framework of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku today, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
Chairman of the State Tourism Agency, Fuad Naghiyev, said that the Baku Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in Tourism brings together states and non-state actors around the goals of reducing emissions and adapting to climate change.
He recalled that during COP29, hosted by Azerbaijan in 2024, a "Tourism Day" was organized through the joint efforts of the State Tourism Agency, UN Tourism, and the COP29 Presidency. Held for the first time within the framework of a UN climate conference, this event drew greater attention to the role of tourism in combating climate change.
Head of the Cultural Heritage Development Division at the State Tourism Agency’s Cultural Heritage Department, Leyla Musayeva, noted that the development of tourism in Khinalig village has expanded opportunities for local women to participate in craftsmanship and other tourism-related activities.
According to her, Khinalig was declared a state reserve in 2007 by a presidential decree. Restoration and conservation work carried out in the village between 2021 and 2024, as well as the inclusion of the area in the UNESCO World Heritage List, have contributed to the preservation of its cultural heritage. Musayeva emphasized the importance of keeping local traditions and the language alive, and of strengthening the younger generation's connection to their cultural heritage.
Ann Kalembe, Ugandan entrepreneur and founder of Gazelle Safari Company, Gazelle Hospitality, and the organization Women in Hospitality Uganda, said that her country has identified tourism as a key driver of economic development.
She remarked that Uganda plans to grow its economy tenfold by 2040, with a focus on developing five priority sectors: agriculture, tourism, mineral resources, and science and technology. Kalembe also highlighted that approximately 1 million jobs have been created within the tourism sector.
