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

As a result, an increase in the occupancy rate of hotels, demand for souvenirs, an increase in visitors to cafes and restaurants are expected. Thus, the forum will provide an opportunity to attract more international business events and increase the flow of tourists to the capital. In addition, the Global Summit will attract leading experts in the field of tourism to Nur-Sultan, bring public and private partners from all sectors together and play a fundamental role in the new paradigm of urban tourism development, in which tourism will become an instrument of social cohesion and culture preservation which he contributes to economic activity.

In a welcoming speech at the Forum of Mayors of Cities and Ministers of Tourism of the UNWTO member countries in Lisbon, Bakhyt Sultanov noted that Nur-Sultan has all the necessary infrastructure for holding international events.

“It is a great honor for us to take the baton of such an important summit from wonderful cities as Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Barcelona, ​​Moscow, and Istanbul, and organize this prestigious event in the city of Nur-Sultan,” said Sultanov. “Nur-Sultan today is one of the youngest and fastest growing capitals in the world, a business and event hub of Central Asia, with objects striking with its unique architecture and uniqueness, with the most modern infrastructure,” the city mayor told about the tourist attractiveness of the capital of Kazakhstan.

“The importance of urban tourism is growing in both existing and developing areas, providing tremendous opportunities to make tourism an integral part of the sustainable future of cities, and we are very pleased to host the VIII UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism in the city of Nur-Sultan”, - UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili emphasized.

UNWTO - World Tourism Organization - a United Nations agency comprising 158 member countries, 6 associate members and more than 500 affiliated members. The main goal of the organization is to ensure the generally accessible and sustainable development of the tourism industry. The headquarters is located in the city of Madrid, Spain.