China and Central Asia enjoy great potentials for tourism with rich resources available for development. The SRI and the UN World Tourism Organisation (UN WTO) work together to instigate local and national strategies aimed at achieving sustainable tourism in the region.
The UN WTO has forecast that world tourism arrivals will triple to 15 billion by 2020. As a result, the tourism industry will bring more development opportunity for poverty alleviation and environmental protection.
Though the various countries each have their unique characteristics and natural environments, thus requiring individually tailored solutions, there are two main tourism themes along the Silk Road - cultural tourism and ecotourism.
Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism has grown by 15% worldwide every year for the past decade (UN WTO). The Silk Road region encompasses a rich cultural heritage with historic cities, ancient architecture and traditional arts and crafts. The project will therefore particularly focus on the development of quality Silk Road arts and crafts. An effective means to generate foreign currency and employment, this strategy will also reinvigorate and preserve traditional skills.
However important the economic resource of tourism is, large scale tourism must also be explored as a potential source of cultural and environmental harm. The role of tourism therefore, is also a protective one.
Ecotourism
Ecotourism emphasises environmental and social sustainability through: conservation, community involvement, interpretation, education and environmental management. The Silk Road has enormous potential as a region for ecotourism. Small businesses represent the core of the ecotourism sector with the majority of ecotourism operators providing a specialised service for small groups or individuals.
Achieving continued and sustainable ecotourism is an ongoing process. By applying the concepts of ecotourism, and by involving both visitor and host, it is a process which will ultimately benefit all - including the environment.
Visa
In order to consolidate the region's overall competitiveness in the global tourism market, the SRI is working on the creation of a 'UN Silk Road Multiple Entry Visa' for multi-destination travel along the old trade route. This requires a great deal of inter- and intra-regional cooperation. The establishment of such a visa would thus be an unprecedented show of common trust and dedication toward further development by the Central Asian region.
