On 27 September 2020, Renmin Wang online newspaper as well as TASS and the Islamabad Post published SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov's articles on World Tourism Day.
In particular, TASS reports:
In his interview with TASS on the occasion of World Tourism Day, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov said:
"In the end, tourism can help overcome the pandemic's impact by promoting solidarity and trust, the most important part of global cooperation that is badly needed today."
The Secretary-General added that the SCO was the largest organisation of regional cooperation with the greatest area and population. The SCO member countries account for over 60 percent of Eurasia and 42 percent of the whole Earth's population.
"The SCO member states have growing political and economic capacities as well as high authority and influence when it comes to global affairs. Rich cultural and historical heritage combined with the humanitarian potential of the SCO countries and nations make their intention to strengthen cooperation and mutual understanding between civilisations natural and necessary, as well as their wish to step up contacts and exchanges in the field of education, culture, and tourism," Vladimir Norov said.
According to Mr Norov, in May, SCO heads of tourism administrations approved a joint action plan in tourism for 2021-2022 in order to give a fresh boost to cooperation and interaction.
The Secretary-General added that the SCO Secretariat was establishing relations with the World Tourism Organisation in such fields as sustainable development of tourism while ensuring safety and simplicity of travel, protecting consumer rights, managing risks and crises and responding to emergency situations.
"The potential to develop tourism between the SCO member states is quite significant," Mr Norov enthused, with 143 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in the SCO member states.
According to Mr Norov, at the beginning of September, Beijing with support of the SCO Secretariat was the venue of the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on Revitalising Global Tourism. The SCO member states have launched and successfully implemented the Eight Wonders of the SCO project aimed at creating a single tourism space.
"World Tourism Day gives the international community a reason to reimagine the future of tourism, including in the context of achieving sustainable development goals," the Secretary-General concluded.
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