The Region Initiative (TRI)Responsible Tourism Network without Boundaries

Introduction to TRI and Highlights of Tashkent Meeting of the TRI Partners, November, 2011
TIES Association member Ecotourism Society Pakistan (ESP) announced The Region project in May 2010 with the aim of building and strengthening relationships among intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, tour operators and other stakeholders from across South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Why The Region?
“Fauna, flora and cultures do not understand political boundaries,” says Mr. Agha Iqrar Haroon, President of ESP.
Nations and cultures in South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe have historically had strong links with each other, connected by the Silk Road, which even today – despite the interruption by the Communist Regime when many Silk Road countries were kept behind the Iron Curtain – play a significant role as the common cultural lifeline of this geographically diverse region.
The shared cultural texture that can be found in many old cities along the Silk Road – Bokhara (Uzbekistan), Old Delhi (India), Isfahan (Iran), Baku (Azerbaijan) or the old city of Lahore (Pakistan) – tells the stories of past glories and thriving cultures with common heritage. While these countries have been disintegrated by political forces, various evidence of their shared cultural heritage remains in traditional architectural designs, carving patterns and embroidery colors seen across the region, from the markets of India to the streets of Western Ukraine.
By taking advantage of the shared heritage and cultural and historical perspectives, The Region focuses on working together to expand and strengthen practical tourism marketing opportunities. By being part of this cross-border network, and by collaborating with operators and service providers from other parts of the region, member companies and organizations gain increased access to potential travelers, and improve their off-season offerings.
The Region network also represents extraordinary efforts by stakeholders such as the ESP to harness the power of travel to promote peace, harmony and tolerance in countries and destinations where geographical, conceptual, political and religious conflicts have prevented many communities from enjoying prosperity and sustainable growth. At the core of The Region initiatives, therefore, is the belief that tourism, by facilitating intercultural encounters and encouraging greater understanding among people, can be a powerful tool for bringing peace and harmony.
Faces of The Region
Following organizations have joined hands for the promotion of sustainable tourism, community based tourism and cross cultural tourism through The Region.
• Geographic Travel Club (Armenia)
• Karaganda Ecological Museum (Kazakhstan)
• Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association (Kyrgyzstan)
• Al-Shayan Travel Agency (Uzbekistan)
• Silk Road Tourism Association (Kyrgyzstan)
• Discover Nepal (Nepal)
• Sri Lank Ecotourism Foundation (Sri Lanka)
• RUSSMARKET Network (Russia)
• Raikot Sarai (Pakistan)
*Membership application to The Region is currently. Applications will be accepted again in 2011. For more information, please contact Mr. Agha Iqrar Haroon at esp@comsats.net.pk.
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UNWTO Silk Road Project
Since 1991, coinciding with the independence of the former Soviet States, there has been a revival of the Silk Road interests – for cultural exchange, trade and tourism. Encouraged by this development, UNWTO decided, at its General Assembly in Indonesia in 1993, to create a long-term tourism project that would promote a special Silk Road tourism concept. ESP has worked with the UNWTO Silk Road Action Plan Committee to incorporate The Region into the Silk Road Projects.
The Region Initiative and Tourism
TRI offers tours to whole central Asia, Eastern Europe and South Asia through its partner organisations. So contact us and let us plan your travel to three different regions through our partners. These tours are cost effective and blended. Networking of Responsible Tourism Organisations under the banner of "The Region Initiative" was established in May 2010. It invited all regional intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, tour operators and other stakeholders of South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe to institute stronger and closer relationship. Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism friendly organizations were invited from from South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The initiative marks to re-establish tourism on Silk Road regions

 

 

 

 

 

REGIONAL TOURISM PARTNERSHIP AMONG SOUTH ASIA, CENTRAL ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE

We, the participants from Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine, assembling for the TRI Partners meeting and Regional Tourism Development conference at the Hotel Le Grand Plaza, Tashkent, Uzbekistan , 22-23 November, 2011, in support of REGIONAL TOURISM PARTNERSHIP AMONG SOUTH ASIA, CENTRAL ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE.
Considering:
Tourism is an important employer and contributor to national GDPs. Its role is especially important during the current global (social, economic and ecological) crisis. Tourism is the best tool for developing interfaith harmony and tolerance among nations, regions, countries and religions .
Recognizing:
Today world peace is a victim of conflicts, ranging from geographical to conceptual and from political to religious. Human agony has been growing multidimensional. One of the core reasons of such financial, political and social unrest is the lack of ?Oneness? and the absence of ?Interfaith Harmony? within societies. Achieving harmony among races, cultures, continents and religions is a major issue for individuals and groups that feel pain for millions of poor, powerless, homeless and hopeless people around the world.
Meeting each other, living together for some time, helps to understand each other. Tourism has always been an important tool for such meetings. For long tourism has been working as a way of creating harmony among people. East-West exposure historically has became possible through travelers. TRI attempts to bring about peace, harmony, tolerance and ONENESS through The Region Initiative. It will not only develop and promote tourism in the region, but also try to achieve more harmony and peace in the region. South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe are very different, not only in races but also in their beliefs, comprising followers of Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Agnosticism and Atheism. As varied as can be, they should be building bridges throughout South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Participants conclude that:
• They believe that the actions of governments are sometime contrary to the needs and demands of tourism. In South Asia, the governments of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan have different political and diplomatic conflicts. This is the lead reason that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has failed to establish interaction and strong networking in the field of tourism. There are also certain conflicts among Central Asian republics and also in Eastern European countries.

Therefore, the opportunity to build a solid network and connect tourism ministries of these countries may be considered more a myth than a reality.
• They believe that the UNWTO Silk Road Plan can only succeed, if more non-government actors and stakeholders of the Silk Road countries move toward establishing strong networks ? since cooperation deepens a common sense about One Entity and enhances the awareness of mutual benefits from a shared One Product.
• They believe that global challenges facing humanity call for global solutions and cooperation at all levels -and by all sectors, public and private, and civil society as a whole ? on an unprecedented scale.
• Peace will be essential to achieve this level of cooperation and will also generate an additional economic wealth to fund these solutions.
• Travel and tourism ? the world?s largest industry, affecting every sector of society, in virtually every nation ? an industry that is founded on peace and that contributes to peace and understanding ? has a key leadership role to play in achieving these solutions.
And therefore demands:
1.-Continue to implement socially and environmentally responsible tourism practices that benefit local destinations and enhance both cultural and natural heritage, giving particular emphasis to fair trade that contributes to poverty reduction and to the restoration of ecological systems.
2.-Provide quality tourism experiences that include meaningful interactions between visitors (guests) and the host community and a greater understanding and appreciation of local cultures, customs and traditions.
3.-Implement environmentally responsible development and operational practices, particularly in vulnerable areas of Central Asian regions.
4.-Governments should provide direct financial support to those who are following the rules of sustainable tourism, instead of harming nature by allowing uncontrolled mass tourism in fragile environments of Central Asia.
5.-Tourism is one of the most effective tools for peace and should be considered not only a revenue provider but also a harmony and peace generator, and, therefore, be supported by the United Nations, as a peace industry.
6.-All countries will work together to brand and market one common cultural tour package for the revival of the historic and traditional trade network of the Great Silk Road, in an effort to exchange knowledge and expertise for the development of ecotourism in Central Asia, South Asia and Eastern Europe.
Minutes of Meeting of TRI Partners (now read as Country Representatives) dated November 23 at Le Grand Plaza Tashkent (UzbRestructuring of The Region Initiative (TRI) was approved during the TRI Tashkent November 23, 2011 meeting of South Asian and Central Asian Partners (Now read as Country Representative). The meeting was chaired by the Head of TRI Central Asia Mr. Ravshan Turakulov with the President of TRI Agha Iqrar Haroon as Chief Guest.ekistan)

Participants included:
1- Mr. Hakim Kiebekov of Milal Inter GBAO, Tajikistan
2- Mr Palitha Gurusenghe of Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation Sri Lanka (On Skype)
3- Mrs. Aygul Isagulova of Ecotourism in Kazakhstan Information Resource Centre (EIRC) Kazakhstan (Membership under consideration)
4- Arlan Kharov Kyrgyz Nomads Kyrygzstan (On Skype)
5- Miss. Shahrzad Moayeri of Derakhshesh Tour & Travel Agency (By phone)
6- Mr. Tayyab Nisar Mir Manager (P&P), Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC)

 Following decisions were taken by Country Representative: 
1-     All existing Partners will now be called as Members.
2-     All previous correspondences and documentation will read word Partner/Partners now as Member/Members.

3- Business Core Group (BCG) has been constituted to deal with Operations and Business activities of Travel and Tourism management whatsoever to develop new packages, product development, linking all stakeholders for any sort of ground handling, support and operations. Mr. Ravshan Turakulov of Silk Road Destination has been announced and placed as the Head of BCG. Mr. Ravshan Turakulov has been empowered to add members if necessary in future in the Group. Following are members of this group:

• Mr. Palitha Gurusenghe
• Mr. Hakim Kiebekov
• Mr. Tayyab Nisar Mir
• Miss Shahrzad
• Mr. Arlan Kharov
• Mr. Agha Iqrar Haroon

   4- TRI will have at least one Country Representative in countries under its area of work. Following organizations/individuals have been announced and approved by the meeting as Country Representative:

• Geographic Travel Club (Armenia)
• Bangladesh Tourism Foundation (Bangladesh)
• Kerala Travel and Tourism (India)
• Dream Nepal (Nepal)
• Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (Sri Lanka)

• Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (Pakistan)
• Derakhshesh Tour (Iran)
• Caucasus Travel Ltd (Georgia)
• Kyrgyz Nomads (Kyrgyzstan)
• Milal Inter (Tajikistan)
• Silk Road Destinations (Uzbekistan)
• Discover Ukraine Network of IVK Worldwide (Ukraine)

5- Following guidelines were approved by the meeting:

•  A-It is mandatory for Members/Country Representative to put logo of TRI if member already has website and his website will be linked with TRI website.
• B-Every Country Representative (CR) is free to find development project and take any donation or funding in the field of tourism and TRI will not take any charge from CR if funding directly goes to CR.
• C- If TRI Head Office will find some project it will involve respective CR directly in the country from where project belongs.
• D- Every CR will try to make its National Tourism Organisation as Member of TRI.
• E- TRI can have one or more Members in One Country but it will have only CR.
• F-Joint marketing of TRI members and CR in international travel fairs
• G- Guidelines for sustainable Tourism Operations will be prepared with the support of Mr. Palitha President of Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation that would be followed by all members/Country Representatives of TRI.

6 ? TRI decided to hold future conference/meeting only in low tourism seasons in its regions (November-December-January-February).

REGIONAL TOURISM PARTNERSHIP AMONG SOUTH ASIA, CENTRAL ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE

We, the participants from Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine, assembling for the TRI Partners meeting and Regional Tourism Development conference at the Hotel Le Grand Plaza, Tashkent, Uzbekistan , 22-23 November,  2011, in support of  REGIONAL TOURISM PARTNERSHIP AMONG SOUTH ASIA, CENTRAL ASIA AND EASTERN EUROPE.
Considering:
Tourism is an important employer and contributor to national GDPs. Its role is especially important during the current global (social, economic and ecological) crisis. Tourism is the best tool for developing interfaith harmony and tolerance among nations,  regions, countries and religions .
Recognizing:

Today world peace is a victim of conflicts, ranging from geographical to conceptual and from political to religious. Human agony has been growing multidimensional. One of the core reasons of such financial, political and social unrest is  the lack of ?Oneness? and the  absence of ?Interfaith Harmony? within societies. Achieving harmony among races, cultures, continents and religions is a major issue for individuals and groups that feel pain for millions of poor, powerless, homeless and hopeless people around the world. 
Meeting each other, living together for some time, helps to understand each other. Tourism has always been an important tool for such meetings. For long tourism has been working as a way of creating harmony among people. East-West exposure historically has became possible through travelers. TRI attempts to bring about peace, harmony, tolerance and ONENESS through The Region Initiative.  It will not only develop and promote tourism in the region, but also try to achieve more harmony and peace in the region.  South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe are very different, not only in races but also in their beliefs, comprising followers of Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Agnosticism and Atheism. As varied as can be, they should be building bridges throughout South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
 Participants conclude that:

• They believe that the actions of governments are sometime contrary to the needs and demands of tourism. In South Asia, the governments of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan have different political and diplomatic conflicts. This is the lead reason that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has failed to establish interaction and strong networking in the field of tourism. There are also certain conflicts among Central Asian republics and also in Eastern European countries. Therefore, the opportunity to build  a solid network and connect tourism ministries of these countries  may be considered more a myth than a reality.
• They believe that the UNWTO Silk Road Plan can only succeed, if more non-government actors and stakeholders of the Silk Road countries move toward establishing  strong networks ? since cooperation deepens a common sense about One Entity and enhances the awareness of mutual benefits from a shared One Product.
• They believe that global challenges facing humanity call for global solutions and cooperation at all levels -and by all sectors, public and private, and civil society as a whole ? on an unprecedented scale.
• Peace will be essential to achieve this level of cooperation and will also generate an additional economic wealth to fund these solutions.
• Travel and tourism ? the world?s largest industry, affecting every sector of society, in virtually every nation ? an industry that is founded on peace and that contributes to peace and understanding ? has a key leadership role to play in achieving these solutions.

And therefore demands:
1.-Continue to implement socially and environmentally responsible tourism practices that benefit local destinations and enhance both cultural and natural heritage, giving particular emphasis to fair trade that contributes to poverty reduction and to the restoration of ecological systems.
2.-Provide quality tourism experiences that include meaningful interactions between visitors (guests) and the host community and a greater understanding and appreciation of local cultures, customs and traditions.

3.-Implement environmentally responsible development and operational practices, particularly in vulnerable areas of Central Asian regions.
4.-Governments should provide direct financial support to those who are following the rules of sustainable tourism, instead of harming nature by allowing uncontrolled mass tourism in fragile environments of Central Asia.
5.-Tourism is one of the most effective tools for peace and should be considered not only a revenue provider but also a harmony and peace generator, and, therefore, be supported by the United Nations, as a peace industry.
6.-All countries will work together to brand and market one common cultural tour package for the revival of the historic and traditional trade network of the Great Silk Road, in an effort to exchange knowledge and expertise for the development of ecotourism in Central Asia, South Asia and Eastern Europe.