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Akbar Novruz

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The prospect of launching tourist trains across and beyond the borders of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) marks a new milestone in regional tourism cooperation. A special working group, consisting of representatives from railway administrations and tourism organizations of OTS member states, has already been formed to study this initiative.

The growing tourist flow within the Turkic world highlights the increasing potential of such collaboration. Between January and August this year, 428,456 tourists from OTS countries visited Azerbaijan — a notable rise compared to the same period last year. Among them, visitors from Türkiye numbered 289,952, from Kazakhstan 69,332, from Uzbekistan 37,718, from Turkmenistan 21,422, from Kyrgyzstan 7,093, and from Hungary 2,939. Currently, the share of tourists from OTS countries in Azerbaijan’s total tourist flow stands at 24.9%.

It is worth recalling that in July 2025, OTS member states signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of tourism in Ankara — a step that laid the groundwork for stronger connectivity, shared branding, and common initiatives in the tourism sector.

Commenting on the growing cooperation to Azernews, Ruslan Guliyev, President of the Azerbaijan Health and Thermal Tourism Support Association, noted that,

“The development of tourism relations between the member countries of the Turkic States Organization has begun to take shape relatively recently. Thus, within the framework of this organization, which we call ‘Kengesh’ (name given to the meetings and discussions of internal and external issues in the meetings called toy or congress in the pre-Islamic Turkish states), a new approach was put forward during the preparation of the modern Silk Road route.”

He emphasized the cultural and economic depth behind this initiative, adding,

“You know that the historical Silk Road route exists, but Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan participated in its modern version at the initial stage. The presentation of common history and culture, the creation of unified tourism routes, the introduction of fast passes between countries and the establishment of a common visa mechanism are very important initiatives.”

According to Guliyev, the potential development of train tourism is also a key factor that could shape this cooperation:

“The development of train tourism also plays an important role in this process, as it significantly reduces the cost of tourism products. As you know, traveling by train is more profitable than by plane. In addition, in terms of promoting cross-border tourism, the development of various transitional tourism products — in the areas of cultural heritage, gastronomy, ecotourism and others — is extremely important.”

He also underlined the socio-economic dimension of deeper mobility within the Turkic world:

“Considering that more than 350 million people live in the Turkic world, it seems more realistic today that if citizens of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States travel to each other more often, this will serve to strengthen mutual tourism relations and deepen economic cooperation.”

Finally, Guliyev pointed out that stability and cooperation are vital in a time of global uncertainty:

“At the same time, factors such as pandemics, political tensions and military crises in the Far East, the Middle East and the Gulf countries have had a serious impact on the tourism sector. However, the implementation of such stable and sustainable routes in the Organization of Turkic States space not only ensures sustainability in tourism, but also expands the range of products and diversification opportunities.”

The idea of connecting OTS countries by train represents more than a transportation initiative — it embodies a broader vision of shared history, interconnected economies, and sustainable growth across the Turkic world.