DUSHANBE, September 28, 2012, Asia-Plus -- The Third National Tourism Conference took place at Hotel Hyatt Regency Dushanbe on September 27, coinciding with United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)’s World Tourism Day.

Organized by the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan and Tajikistan’s Association for Promotion of Tourism Development (TATO), the conference considered issues related to ways to enhance the sustainability component of tourism product development whilst recognizing changing market demands.

The theme for this year’s Conference was “A Walk on the Wild Side: Getting Competitive!”

Speaking at he Conference, Lochin Fayzulloyev, the deputy head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs, noted that 180,000 tourists visited Tajikistan in 2011, which was 23,000 people more than in 2010.      

“If each of them spent on average US$500 during his/her stay in our country, Tajikistan received 90 million U.S. dollars last year due to tourists,” Fayzulloyev noted.

According to him, 86 tourist agencies have been registered with the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs and 54 of them are dealing with foreign tourism.   In 2011, 18,000 Tajik nationals visited foreign countries as tourists.

Experts that participated in the conference noted that simplification of visa regime would give a boost to development of tourism industry in the country.