Delegation of the Ashgabat city takes part in the 2nd Global City Tourism Summit in Busan

From 26 to 28 October 2026, a delegation of the Ashgabat City Hakimlik headed by the Hakim (Mayor) of Ashgabat, Mr. Rahym Gandymov, took part in the 2nd Global City Tourism Summit, at the invitation of Busan Metropolitan City.

The Summit took place at Paradise Hotel Busan under the theme “Local Tourism; Connecting Urban Economies and Tourism Innovation”. It was organized by Busan Metropolitan City, the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities (TPO) and the Busan Tourism Organization. About 700 participants attended the Summit, including delegations of 31 cities from 16 countries, representatives of international organizations, experts and tourism companies.

On 26 October 2026, the delegation took part in the official events of the Summit. The Mayor of Ashgabat spoke at the Mayors’ Roundtable, which brought together the high-level officials of about 20 cities.

In his speech, the Mayor of Ashgabat stressed the importance of Turkmenistan’s policy of permanent neutrality as the basis of its international cooperation. He spoke about the potential of Ashgabat as the white marble capital listed in the Guinness World Records and as a venue for international conferences, exhibitions and forums. He also spoke about the historical and cultural heritage of Turkmenistan, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ancient Merv, Kunya-Urgench and the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa. Mr. R. Gandymov put forward proposals to strengthen cooperation between cities, including the exchange of best practices in urban tourism, cultural exchanges, joint exhibitions and festivals, as well as interaction between tourism organizations, the hotel business, investors and educational institutions, and invited the Summit participants to visit Turkmenistan.

On the same day, the Mayor of Ashgabat, Mr. R. Gandymov, held a bilateral meeting with the Mayor of Busan, Mr. Chun Jae-soo. During the meeting, the Mayor of Ashgabat thanked the Mayor of Busan for the invitation and the warm hospitality. He expressed interest in studying Busan’s experience in developing modern tourism infrastructure and digital services, and in the international promotion of urban tourism destinations. He noted Ashgabat’s readiness to develop partnership with Busan, including in cultural exchanges and cooperation between tourism organizations, and invited the Mayor of Busan to visit Ashgabat.

On 27 October 2026, the Turkmen delegation took part in the Central Asia Special Session of the Summit, themed “Local Tourism Cooperation and Business Opportunities to Connect Korea-Central Asia Tourism Markets”. Speaking at the panel discussion on promoting local tourism and expanding tourism markets between Korea and Central Asia, a member of the Turkmen delegation presented the tourism potential of Ashgabat and its surroundings, including sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as the modern hotel infrastructure of the capital. He also noted Turkmenistan’s cooperation with UN Tourism, the Economic Cooperation Organization and the World Tourism Cities Federation.

On the same day, the Global City Tourism Roadshow, an exhibition of the tourism opportunities of world cities, was held on Gunam-ro street as part of the Summit. Turkmenistan took part with a special booth presenting exhibits, artifacts and information on the cultural heritage, national traditions, historical monuments and tourism potential of Turkmenistan and its capital Ashgabat. The booth attracted the interest of visitors and Summit participants.