AKIPRESS.COM - A delegation from the Kingdom will take part in a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) executive council meeting in Uzbekistan, scheduled between Oct. 1 and Oct. 3, reports Arab News.

The delegation will be led by Khalid Al-Dakheel, assistant president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). More than 100 countries are slated to take part.

The session will host participants from international tourism organizations, specialists from academic institutions and experts from the industry.

The annual meeting will focus on developing tourism in Uzbekistan, examine the current state of the tourism industry, assess future prospects of the international travel market and elect new members to the executive committee of the UNWTO.

Delegates at the session will be shown films about Uzbekistan’s rich history, popular monuments and the tourism infrastructure, after which they will be given tours of the historic, cultural and scientific sights of Samarkand and Bukhara.

Uzbekistan Ambassador Alisher Kadirov said he is hopeful that the international forum would boost Uzbekistan’s tourism since only 5,000 Saudi tourists visit the country a year.

He said that there are currently no direct flights operating from the Kingdom to Uzbekistan, but that Saudi Arabian Airlines recently made an agreement with Uzbekistan Airways to launch direct flights between the two countries.