Sandra Vujinovic - Executive Manager in PERMIS in charge of the Working Group on Cooperation in Tourism 

sandra.vujinovic@bsec-organization.org       Tel: +90 (212) 229 63 30-35  (Ext: 114)

 

The Republic of Armenia is the Coordinator for the Working Group on Cooperation in Tourism from 1 January 2025 until 31 December 2026.


The key priorities for BSEC activity in the field of tourism are defined under Goal 8: “Development of Tourism, Protection of Cultural Heritage and Promotion of Modern Culture” of the BSEC Economic Agenda, adopted in 2023. This goal is elaborated through 22 frameworks of action, supporting sustainable tourism practices, safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and fostering contemporary cultural expressions across the BSEC region.


The BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Tourism, established in 1994, serves as the principal platform for promoting regional cooperation in tourism. The Working Group holds its regular meetings twice per year to review progress, exchange best practices, and identify new joint initiatives.

Since its establishment, six Meetings of the Ministers in charge of Tourism have been held, adopting Ministerial Declarations to guide BSEC activities in this domain. Close collaboration with the BSEC Working Group on Culture has resulted in five joint meetings and one Conference of the Ministers in charge of Culture and Tourism.

A recent notable achievement was the First Meeting of Higher Education Institutions Specialized in Tourism Education within the BSEC Framework (2024), which included a round table discussion on “Future Cooperation in Tourism in the BSEC Region.”

BSEC’s international cooperation has been strengthened through a Memorandum of Understanding with UN Tourism (UNWTO) in 2014, making UNWTO a BSEC Sectoral Dialogue Partner, and through a Memorandum of Understanding between BSEC PERMIS and the Tourism Education and Training Center of Boğaziçi University (2002), supporting tourism education and capacity building.

The Working Group’s activities aim to strengthen cooperation among BSEC Member States in tourism and to promote the BSEC Region as a leading global tourism destination.


For further information kindly contact the Executive Manager in charge.