With more than one hundred participants from Tashkent and other regions (Republic of Uzbekistan), the First UNWTO-ICCA Masterclass on Meetings Industry organized by the UNWTO Academy and ICCA and with the support of State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Tourism Development (SCTD) was inaugurated on 10th August in Tashkent, Uzbekistan by Abdulaziz Akkulov, the Acting Chairman of the SCTD; Dmitriy Ilin, UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme; Elif Balci Fisunoglu, ICCA Regional Director for Europe and Mirtolib Mirzakhidov, Director of the UNWTO Office “Tourism on the Silk Road” in the Republic of Uzbekistan under the SCTD. 

The First UNWTO-ICCA Masterclass was addressed to industry professionals and government officials from the Uzbekistan Tourism Administration, representatives of private companies, associations and academia who hold responsibilities in the tourism sector of their country related to the area of Meetings industry. 

This prestigious event was followed by 22 participants from local and national media houses and gained big publicity through press and social media channels on a national and regional level. 

Keynote speakers of the Masterclass - Elif Blaci Fisunoglu (ICCA) and Dmitriy Ilin (UNWTO), shared knowledge, processes and tools on the global meetings industry trends through short presentations and the introduction of a practical methodology. This Masterclass equipped participants with the knowledge and skills on the meetings industry, enhanced their expertise and created an important network among the private and public sector, thus contributing to further development of the Meetings Industry in Uzbekistan and harnessing the potential this segment can offer for advancing the competitiveness of the destination.