Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, to Host the 8th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Mayor’s Office of Nur-Sultan will be organizing the 8th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, 9-12 October 2019), under the theme ‘Smart Cities, Smart Destinations’. The agreement was signed by UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili and Nur-Sultan´s Mayor, Bakhyt Sultanov on the sidelines of the UNWTO Mayors Forum for Sustainable Urban Tourism held in Lisbon.

Building upon the previous editions, the 8th UNWTO Global Summit will bring together high-level representatives from national tourism administrations, city authorities and related stakeholders, to exchange experiences and expertise and set a shared vision to further advance urban tourism development. Sustainability, accessibility, innovation and how to ensure the full inclusion of tourism in the urban agenda, are among the issues to be discussed.

“The importance of urban tourism is growing in mature and emerging destinations alike, providing immense opportunities to make tourism an integral part of cities´ sustainable future, and we are very pleased to be holding the 8th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism in Nur-Sultan” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

“In times of intense development of tourism, all stakeholders must work together to ensure sustainable development and social integration of cities. As Mayor of Nur-Sultan city, a dynamic and growing hub in Central Asia, I am very pleased to invite all to the upcoming 8th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism”, said Mayor Bakhyt Sultanov.

The summit will also include a Masterclass on the meetings industry delivered by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), focussing on topics such as current trends in the meeting industry, how to be a successful destination for meetings and how to organize sustainable meetings.