Antalya: The 5th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Trkiye Joint Tourism Working Group took place in Antalya, Trkiye, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation in tourism. The meeting addressed a range of topics, including cooperation within international organizations, tourism education, and the management of coastal areas for tourism. Other areas of discussion were winter, health, and gastronomy tourism, along with improving the legislative framework for sustainable tourism.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the discussions centered on cooperation mechanisms between the public and private sectors, regional tourism management, cultural heritage, and enhancing experience and information exchange in marketing and promotion. The meeting also highlighted the drafting of a Joint Action Program for 2026. Co-chaired by Jalil Malikov, Deputy Head of the Staff and Head of the International Relations Department at the State Tourism Agency, the meeting included representatives from specialized tourism industry institutions.

Participants reviewed the Joint Action Plan for 2025 and identified priority areas for the 2026 plan. The officials explored cooperation with international bodies like the UN Tourism, the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), D 8, and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). A notable highlight was Azerbaijan's application for Lahij to be nominated as Best Tourism Village by the UN Tourism and the announcement of Shusha as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2026.

The meeting also addressed collaboration in COP31, emphasizing Azerbaijan's successful hosting of COP29 in November 2024, where tourism was included in the thematic agenda for the first time. An agreement was reached to share Azerbaijan's experience in this area with Trkiye.

Representatives from the Association of Travel Agencies of Azerbaijan (ATAA), the Azerbaijan Hotel Association (AHA), the Turkish Hotel Association (TUROB), and the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) participated in the meeting. In conclusion, a protocol on tourism cooperation was signed between the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Trkiye.